Sacha wrote:
On 14/3/06 10:20 am, in article ,
"Holly, in France" wrote:
....anything at all that will out-compete brambles and nettles?! I
have battled with a bank next to a stream for four years, trying to
dig them out and keep them cut. Now there are mice near a waterfall
(which I don't want to poison - cat and barn owls), coypu coming and
going, the dog has joined in the digging trying to get at the mice
and the whole thing is becoming more and more of a mess! I've just
cleaned it all up again as well as I can. Trying to keep
membrane/polythene in place would be a nightmare, the bank is steep
and the dog and various wildlife will root it up. So...either I
plant some very aggressive ground-cover or I think I'm going to have
to resort to Roundup for as long as necessary. Any ideas please
anyone? East facing bank, mostly sunny, never dries out, floods half
way up a couple of times a year.
TIA
Can you put the tips of brambles into either tins filled with
weedkiller or safely sealed into plastic bags ditto? It's a problem
with animals around, I know but this should do it, though it will
take some time.
Yes, good idea, that would be a better start than doing the whole lot,
and the brambles are much more of a problem than the nettles.
Of course, some nettles are desirable because of butterflies
Aaargh! :-) Yes, but see my reply to Puce, I have enough nettles to feed
an army or insert appropriate collective noun for butterflies of
butterflies!
and I was told once that they are an indication of good,
fertile soil!
Well, this particular soil is good and fertile, but IME they seem to
thrive absolutely everywhere.
--
Holly, in France
Gite to let in Dordogne, now with pool.
http://la-plaine.chez-alice.fr