Jack wrote:
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?

I tend to agree with Alison that the old fashioned labour intensive
way is probably best. Sorry. ;-)
Rooting up nettles by hand can be very satisfying - well, I think so,
and quite effective.
Re the 'sticky willie', that too can be pulled out at ground level but
there usually tends to be a lot of it so cutting it off at ground
level to minimise it's colonisation is probably the best bet. Once you
have most of it out lay your matting and weight it down with gravel or
grass clippings.
The trouble with things like Roundup and SBK is that accidental
splashes on your beech wont do them any good at all.

--
ned