Gardening question ;)

[#1]

Ive just spent most of the morning power washing my drive,patio,walls,paths altho its looking nice now that ugly green slime/moss will return next year as it always does.

Can anyone recomend any chemicals for treating patios,paths,driveways that might slow down the growth or keep it away abit longer?

Sometimes i use cheap bleach which seams to work for like 3 months then it slowly begins to come back, i live up north so we get alot of rain which is helping the green return. 

If i keep powerwashing my drive im going to end up with loads of hole in the concrete as some of you will know that powerwashing washing away the sand and stones over time.

[#2]

Well the house we bought for our early retirement some ten years ago was just a sorry looking mass of cracked mismatched concrete - so I got the spike out and spent about a month just smashing and mashing it up finishing with a nice area of rubble which I then covered with a lorry load of gravel. No power washing needed, just the occasional rake over....... along with that gentle and oh so soothing crunching sound as I drive my car over it!  

It might not be a solution in your case especially if you have a sloping front, but it worked for us.   

[#3]

thats not what i asked for u numtpy  

[#4]

I use a power washer on mine and I am in the same boat as you. I seems to be a yearly thing of getting the jet washer out and going over the patio but what happens is that the sand between the stones comes loose and I got to reapply sand afterwards.

One of the most effective things you could do is wash your patio every 3 months with diluted bleach to stay on top of it. Put your solution into a watering can and soak your patio with it. Leave it to work and after a set amount of time, get a stiff brush and sweep it away then get the hose and wash it all away. The key here is to do it regularly so the moss and lichen doesn't return.

[#5]

Keep it dry, keep it exposed to sunlight, and just keep ontop of cleaning it with strong bleach or pool chlorine, or just get rid of it and put some grass there which is just so much nicer than concrete...

[#6]

I suspect that all the effective chemicals have been banned

A search brought up this https://mossterminator.co.uk/moss-and-algae-inhibitor.html which says

Moss generally thrives in dark, damp climates making autumn the season of choice for moss and algae looking to gain a foot hold in your garden. Using Moss Terminator: Moss and Algae Inhibitor, at the end of spring/start of autumn, will ensure that any moss spores will be met with hostile conditions which impede germination. With ideal conditions this could prevent moss from forming all the way till spring! This means less time treating your garden and more time enjoying it.

So sod all use then

[#7]

You asked for a solution St3, and I gave you a non chemical one. 

[#8]

In defence of @Minivanman there is an issue of too much hard standing see the following on SUDS (Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems) here http://www.bgs.ac.uk/research/engineeringGeology/urbanGeoscience/SUDS/home.html

There are more and more people concreting over their front gardens for car parking and such causing problems for drainage systems both natural and artificial. His solution helps everyone particularly those susceptible to flooding 

[#9]

@PeterLoftus so, what you are saying in your post, is trying to make the O.P. feel guilty enough to bring in the heavy gang with Pneumatic Drills, to remove his driveway, and then he can park his car in a muddy road in front of his house, and all the neighbours, and , indeed, the rest of the eco warriors on flooding, will be very happy... 

Huh ?  nah... can`t see that happening....... seriously....    can you ?

The area is probably not getting enough sunshine, for long enough, to kill off the green slime/moss stuff

One answer has already been supplied, that should help alleviate the problem, and that is to regularly water the whole area affected with a bleach solution from a watering can... and leave it to do it`s work...  if necessary to brush off with a stiff (plastic bristle) yard broom, and a hose pipe to rinse ... not JET away the dirty surface water, so created.

[#10]

Clean with pressure jet once. Allow to dry a bit. Spray proprietary moss killer on affected areas and allow to dry. Retreat areas periodically according to manufacturer recommendations.  Don't use these chemicals (or bleach) near to fish ponds or places that could run off into a stream/pond.

We have about 100 Sq M of natural stone flag stones and steps in our garden. This treatment works fine without affecting other plants.

If you use bleach remember to keep it away from acids, descaling solution or ammonia.as it can lead to toxic vapours.

[#11]

I found this little website while looking around for alternative answers: http://www.pavingexpert.com/maintain_02.htm

You might find it helpful with some of the tips listed there.

[#12]

If the concrete drive is in fairly good condition you could put a few coats of sealant on it, I don't mean some cheap stuff from the local diy store but more commercially available stuff, sealed our drive years ago and never had any of the problems you describe.

I live in Lancashire so there is no shortage of rain here !

Have a search on the internet for sealants for drives.

[#13]

my patio area is also concrete i wonder if i can apply sealant to that aswell as the drive ... or would it become slippery,... thanks for all the wonderful comments i was hoping most of you would offer to come clean it for me but i guess it didnt work this time

[#14]

Depends on how well and how thick the concrete was laid. Mine was rather cracked as said and it was only about two or three inches thick so rather than a pneumatic drill and a heavy gang a few weeks of bashing with a heavy spike (being careful not to stab my toes) was all it took. As Peter said, it now allows the rain to soak through and affords some drainage. 

It really has become quite and issue in urban areas what with flooding and all. Understandable of course as we all need to park somewhere but at least gravel help rather than hinders. 

Not quite on topic, but relevant all the same?

[#15]

i put it down myself its a good 6 inches on drive and 5 around paths and patio No cracks yet as i left expansion joints and filled them with tarmac which allows the concrete to move when hot or cold without cracking  I just wish there was a chemical that would keep the green away for ever