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Weeds from back alley

GunStreetGirlGunStreetGirl Posts: 62
in Problem solving
Approaching my first spring in our new house and I am anticipating lots of weeds coming under the fence from the alley behind. I was wondering how best to tackle the issue. I was planning on clearing the area and then laying some mulch material and then covering with pebbles. Is this a sensible option?

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Posts

  • gjautosgjautos Posts: 429
    I'm not sure that would stop weeds from coming under a fence. Would it not be easier to just pop round to the alley with a hoe every now and then?
  • PalustrisPalustris Posts: 4,307
    Weeds will grow through or on top of plastic mulch material. Ugly and not very practical. Better to go and deal with the weeds in the alley.
  • GunStreetGirlGunStreetGirl Posts: 62
    @gjautos @Palustris I know it won't stop them, and I intend to weed also. It looks to me, that it has been left in previous years as there are some thick woody stalks that must have been cut back prior to us buying the property. I was just wondering if the mulching may help me somewhat.
  • gjautosgjautos Posts: 429
    @GunStreetGirl, to be honest i dont think it will help at all. I think you will be wasting your time and money. The simplest and cheapest way is just to keep on top of the weeds with a hoe.
  • delskidelski Posts: 274
    Is that a picture of the back alley or a picture of your garden...?
  • GunStreetGirlGunStreetGirl Posts: 62
    @delski the alley  :D 
  • delskidelski Posts: 274
    That's quite a nice back alley compared to some! I assume the council doesn't have responsibility for it?
  • GunStreetGirlGunStreetGirl Posts: 62
    @delski no, it's not really used. I think I actually own part of it. I can just tell the weeds have been allowed to run wild so I'm concerned of what's to come when we hit spring. I already have some creeping into my new flower beds.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    A few ‘weeds’ along a back alley can be a bonus ... around here (quite a ‘smart’ area) we get Jack by the Hedge appearing in spring  (Hedge Mustard - Alliaria petiolata) along the edges of back lanes and alleyways ... it’s the food plant of the larvae of the Orange tip butterfly, one of the first signs of spring ... 
    http://www.naturessecretlarder.co.uk/wild-food-useful-plants/jack-by-the-hedge-alliaria-petiolata.htm

    Such a lovely thing to have ... so much nicer than a sterile walkway. 

    We should remember that the majority of ‘weeds’ are actually our native wild plants 😊 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • GunStreetGirlGunStreetGirl Posts: 62
    @Dovefromabove yes you are right. We have always previously had a wildpatch in our garden. The ragwort gave us an abundance of cinnabar moths each year. 
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