What to do with bank surrounding garden.

cluelessx2

Hi,

I have a weed covered 1m high bank with some white thorn and other trees on top, surrounding my garden. It's a 3/4 acre site so a fair amount of bank. I'm looking to clean it up. What's best approach? Weed by hand or spray? Don't want to damage lawn or trees. Then, what do I do to prevent reoccurrence? Am thinking that weed cover sheet stuff with some ground cover plants. What would you recommend? I know nothing at all about gardening so could really do with some advice.

Thanks,
A

macraignil

Weeding by hand would take some time but you might uncover some small trees or other interesting plants that might have been killled by spraying. A systemic weed killer also might effect the whitethorn and other trees while something like foliage absorbed round up might be less damaging than others as it is taken up less by roots. Systemic weed killers work by getting into the system of the plant so they can damage plants even when not directly sprayed on them.

I have been working on a new garden and have found by avoiding weed killers I have been able to encourage Ivy, clover, primroses and some flowers I don't know the name of. To avoid weeds growing again it is best to plant with something to fill the space available.

The weed cover sheet over the perimeter of a 3/4 acre site sounds like a bit of work and they have a tendancy to come to the surface and look unsightly if not mulched properly.

looksee

Any chance of a pic? Would you think of just strimming it and let it settle into grass and lower growing plants? If you strip it you could find there is so much root (and possibly built up stones) that it is impossible to get anything to grow in it.

_Brian

I'd say strim it and encourage grass.

If it's staying dirty Maybe use a selective weed killer to reduce the weed numbers.