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Weed issue
jdxmoore
Posts: 2
Hello
This is my first post here and I'm only a novice gardener so bear with me!
We moved into a new build 2 years ago and planted a beech hedge along the fence at the bottom of our garden (see image).
However I'm really struggling to keep on top of the weeds which grown through the fence and under the beech. The weed is mainly buttercup I think which spread and burrow down.
Any suggestions for how I could combat these weeds and stop them frowning through my fence?
Thanks
David
0
Posts
Welcome to the forum
People on here are friendly and many of us have a fairly relaxed attitude towards weeds aka wildflowers. Bare soil is not a natural state, except in very dry or cold regions, so it helps stress levels to accept this !
Clear what you can and then mulch thickly with leafmould or bark. They will always try to come in, but you can't use weedkiller or you will harm the hedge. This will be a transient phase - as the hedge grows the level of shade will increase and the hedge will form its own leaf mould. As the hedge gets stronger it will not notice competition from the buttercups and they will weaken somewhat from the shade and drier soil and you will not be able to see them so much anyway!
They may well get into you lawn,but there it is possible to treat them, if you wish to, with a suitable broad leaf weedkiller made for such a purpose.
An alternative option would be to deepen the border in front of the hedge and plant other flowers of the hedge-bottom/woodland edge, such as red campion and Geranium phaeum (get both a black and a white one and they will set seed and give you lots of shades of blue and mauve!). They and the buttercups all flower at the same time and look really pretty together.
Last edited: 13 March 2017 08:50:55
Red campion and (especially) buttercup and bindweed are weeds and I suggest you try and stop them getting in. Or you will rue the day. Keep at the bindweed - you will win in the end. It is sad bindweed is such a horrible weed as it would make a lovely plant if only it would behave.
Good luck.
I disagree with the comment about not being able to use weedkiller to control the buttercups etc. You can get gels to dab on to weeds, even a hand sprayer, held close to the weeds is unlikely to damage the beech hedging.
To spray weed killer without harming the surrounding plants, get a empty coke bottle cut the end off and poke the end of the bindweed through the top then spray through the bottom opening you have made. For a larger weed cut both ends off to make a tunnel for the weed to sit in and do the same.
you can leave the tunnel in place somitmismalready if it needs another spray and just remove as you see the weed begin to die. Also works well on any bramble that is trying to invade a flower bed but most brambles need at least 2 sprays.
It's safe to spray weedkiller as long as you keep it off the foliage of the beech. If you can, spray a foot width on teh far side too to give you some space then, when it's worked, fork or the soil to remove all the weed remains and cut off any that may be creeping back.
Water well and then cover with a good thick mulch (2" minimum) of chipped bark, slate chippings or gravel depending on taste and budget. This will exclude light and stop other seeds germinating but also make it easier to hand weed or hoe any future invasions. Unless you can put a physical barrier several inches deep between your hedge and the land on the other side you will always be invaded.
Consider making this mulched area wide enough for you to walk on to trim your hedge as it grows and contain it with a barrier on your side between the hedge and any lawn or future bed you put there. That will help contain creeping buttercup but you need to be vigilant as it puts our runners very quickly in my experience. Constant battle in my last garden.
Thanks for the suggestions everyone. You've given me lots to think about :-)
I do really like how colourful the buttercups are and wish they wouldn't invade so quickly! I think I'm going to dig them up as best I can, then extend the boarder as suggested and put some mulch down.
I'm also considering putting a barrier (wooden panels) across the lower part of the fence on the outside to help prevent weeds growing through.