"Jack" wrote in message
. ..
Hi all,

I have a problem with nettles and strangleweed (the stuff that breaks off
sticking to your clothes) - it's choking my green beech hedge. I can
strim
ok but risk damaging the bark and lower branches on the beech plants
(already tried). Raking doesnt get the nettles. For the long term I have
some matting to put down but before I can do that I need to kill off
whatever's there without damaging the beech. Any suggestions?

Thanks
J

You're not gonna like this but the v. best method is to get in there on your
hands and kness and do the job by hand (I had to do mine last weekend -
laborious but satisfying). The 'strangleweed'/'goosegrass'/'sticky willy'
and the tops of the nettles are great fodder for the compost bin, the what's
left of the nettle roots can go off to dusty bin. As long as you get these
before they seed, the job is easy and quite long term.

The other alternative is spraying with glyphosate (like Roundup) but it will
deep root kill all that it touches in the way of greenery so don't get it on
the beech tree leaves. It is apparently inactivated once it reaches soil
level ( I tend to believe this but then I don't live in the soil to know
what it does do!)

HTH
--A