Monty Don's urgent winter task for gardeners
Winter is well and truly here, with parts of the UK experiencing freezing and below freezing temperatures this week, and gardening expert Monty Don has warned that one job needs tackling as soon as possible to prepare for the icy weather.
On his gardening blog, the Gardener’s World presenter has urged people to tick off one job in particular before the harsher winter weather takes hold – washing brick and stone paths.
You might assume that this is because the surfaces can become slippery after a particularly frosty or icy evening, but there is a specific culprit that can make your paths especially treacherous and that is algae.
According to Monty: “At this time of year brick and stone paths can be very slippery and dangerous. This is due to algae that grows on the surface, especially if wet and shaded and at this time of year they may stay wet and slippery for months.”
But thankfully there is a relatively quick and easy way to make them much safer to traverse over the colder months.
“The best way to reduce the slipperiness is to wash off the algae with a pressure hose (which can be hired by the day),” Monty explains.
Alternatively, you could also invest in one if you routinely pressure wash your patio or like to keep your bicycle or car free of mud, dirt and grime.
The next step in his approach is just as crucial. Once you’ve washed down the path and removed as much algae as possible, you’ll want to “brush in sharp sand,” Monty explains.
“If the path is brick or stone the porous surface will absorb some of the sand.” And this should provide more grip and stop it from feeling as slippery underfoot.
If you don’t have access to a pressure hose, a “quicker - but still quite laborious - alternative is simply to work sand in with a stiff brush without the washing,” Monty suggests.
Either way, this should make any stone or brick path in your garden much safer to walk on over the winter, with it hopefully preventing any slips or falls.
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