Suggestions for a strong but pet friendly weed killer please.

A vinegar and salt mixture might work. Rough up the soil first and then sprinkle the salt ( dishwasher salt is cheap ) then douse the area in vinegar. The small quickly goes. Leave to soak in for a couple of days and then repeat.
It works on weeds between my paving so should work after a few douses. Completely safe, non toxic, although I wouldn’t let my pets on it until it is dry.

Can you cover the area with layers of thick cardboard?

It will prevent regrow the and then you could use the flame thrower later in the year if necessary.

Covering with cardboard seems to be working well with the marestail and bindweed on my allotment.

Alan Titchmarsh advices to hoe up seedlings as they appear and leave the roots to die. This works especially well in hot sun with annual weeds. Perennials with deep roots are another matter. Euphorbia is a menace.

If you're going to use J52's method (which is great on paving) I'd miss out the salt as it will affect the soil health and replacement plants may struggle.

What is a flame thrower?
It sounds dangerous in this dry weather.

Grammaretto

What is a flame thrower?
It sounds dangerous in this dry weather.

A flame thrower is exactly what is says. A hand held gadget that shoots flames. Definitely not great at any time but certainly not in this hot weather where everything is so dry.
My attempt at a feeble joke.

ClicketyClick

If you're going to use J52's method (which is great on paving) I'd miss out the salt as it will affect the soil health and replacement plants may struggle.

Thanks for your comment, I didn’t think it through for a planted bed! I use it on a gravel area where the euphoria had invaded.
Weakening the shoots as they appear should work in the long term. I’ve had success with this method on the bindweed from next door.

I use water vinegar salt and fairy liquid put it in a spray bottle,it dries the weeds, but this summer I think weeds are growing very fast, I have to keep on top of them, they're a menace

Sarnia Thanks. I was thinking it a really effective solution. 😅😂

I have a small gas burner weed kille. IT is not by any imagination, a flame thrower. It has a small focussed flame a couple of inches across, which is very fierce when the gas container ( small aerosol sized can) is full but weakens as it runs out.

It is very effective for above ground weeds, but no good for the ones with rambling roots underground. I have a similar problem with japanese anenome.

Rather than cardboard over the area I woud use heavy duty black polythene, well pegged down round the edge, so that the sprouting euphorbia does not lift the polythene and let light in.

Thanks to you all to have taken the time to reply to me. I will have a couple of goes with the vinegar mixture and then cover it over and hope for the best. It will not win!!!

I think Monica is right that heavy duty black polythene is most effective.

I’m using cardboard because I don’t want to use any plastic n the allotment.

Satnia, I’ve pm’d you.