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clearing nettles and weed suppressant matting
Peanuts3
Posts: 759
We are in the process of clearing an area of nettles, brambles, alkanet and ivy at my daughters school. We are digging out as many of the roots as possible, but were wondering if we put weed suppressant matting down, how long would we need to leave it in order for the roots of everything to be killed off ?
We were thinking to leave it a year and then plant it up this time next year ?
Would this work, or is there anything else we can do. Chemicals not an option due to being a school.
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What are the longer term plans for that area?
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
In my experience, plastic membrane (about £25-30 for a roll from Toolstation) is better. As you will see from the picture below, the weeds next door would have been back in the area of my garden I have been clearing, within weeks. I have used both kinds of membrane (the woven sort for drives and the grey fabric sort), but not been happy with the results with either. Strongly growing weeds can push through either. Plastic on the other hand, seems to suppress them in a more final and lasting way. The weed roots beneath will not get much watering or light, which will help to kill them off, and to make it more attractive, you can place gravel or bark chippings on top - and here I have planted through it by making holes large enough for planting and watering. Eventually, when my shrubs have spread, I am hoping that the original roots will have died, and the thick shade will not be attractive for weed growth, and I can remove the plastic, although, unless my neighbours cultivated that bit of their garden, I would always be pulling a certain amount out. The only issue that you might have to consider is the rainfall run off. This has not been an issue in our use of plastic on the garden, but mainly because there are lots of other places for the water to soak through. But it is worth thinking about.
to plant it up will native flowers a bit like a meadow so to attract insects / butterflies / bees. We are keeping a small area of nettles further back, so will just need this area for flowers, but don't want them to get smothered by nettles re appearing.
In my experience of other people's attempts at meadow style planting, it is very open to abuse by weeds and difficult to maintain - they disappear like pickpockets in a crowd and are hard to police. You will have to be vigilant, or you will quickly have a rather scrubby patch again. I would like to plant a wildflower patch for my bees in the paddock, but might leave it until I can be absolutely sure I have eliminated weeds in an area which might take two or three years.