What do y'all do about weeds coming thru a chainlink fence?

[patandchickens]

So, we have some chainlink fencing that because of the kids it seems wisest to leave in place. And I want to put a long perennial-and-shrub bed against it. The thing is, on the other side of the chainlink (it's on the property line) is a massive stand of reed canary grass and twitchgrass. It wants to move in. And it outnumbers me

My efforts thus far to establish beds along the chainlink have all ended up hopelessly infested with the reed canarygrass and twitchgrass. (I have twitchgrass everywhere else too of course but at least it's manageable when it's not all tangled up in the reed canarygrass roots!).

What do y'all do to keep the neighbor's lawn and weed from crawling under the chainlink fence and taking over your beds? All I can think of is sinking aluminum flashing 2' deep all along the fence, which would be a GIANT pain in the neck, so I am desperately hoping that either a) someone will have better ideas or b) someone will tell me it won't work so don't bother

Thanks in aadvance,

Pat

 

[Kentucky~Momma]

We get along with our neighbors quite well, and we have put down grass and weed killer, a broad spectrum, to eliminate all grass and weeds on both sides of the fences, and at all property lines that would interfere with both gardens and flower beds. Benefits that might help your neighbor agree to it would be that there would be less trimming along the fence and it would be easier to mow the lawn. You might think of more benefits that would pertain to your situation, but we did the broad spectrum a full season before planting, that also helped with getting the beds and areas ready with soil and if needed built up beds.

 

[patandchickens]

We get along with our neighbors quite well, and we have put down grass and weed killer, a broad spectrum, to eliminate all grass and weeds on both sides of the fences, and at all property lines that would interfere with both gardens and flower beds. Benefits that might help your neighbor agree to it would be that there would be less trimming along the fence and it would be easier to mow the lawn. You might think of more benefits that would pertain to your situation, but we did the broad spectrum a full season before planting, that also helped with getting the beds and areas ready with soil and if needed built up beds.

Oh, I probably should have mentioned that the weedy area across the fence is part of a swampy corner of a 20 acre hayfield. Not a residence and yard. If we put Roundup along the fence (which I don't want to, as we have a nearby shallow well) the weed grasses would just move right back in.

So what would you do if you *didn't* get along well with your neighbors, or if they were swamp and hay?


Pat

 

[silkiechicken]

I'd like some swamp hay neighbors. Dunno what to do though since I don't do anything with growing pretty things.