Weeds and fence

[fenneran]

With all this talk of fencing, it made me come out of lurkdom to ask you guys about this. We are beginning the slow process of re-fencing our yard area. It was originally done with a combination of t-posts and field fence or pig fence on metal posts. Our idea is to replace it section-by-section with wood posts and three boards, possibly adding field fence to it if needed for critters.

The question is this: How do you keep the grass/weeds/trees/etc from growing up under the fence? Obviously, you could continually spray it with round-up, but that seems like an expesive solution. Should I just make sure the fencing material is off the ground by some amount so it can be mowed easier? If so, how far up? What is the magic bullet here? /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

-Frank

 

[DAP]

No magic bullet here.

The choices are string trimming or real expensive powered devices built for fence trimming (between posts i.e.).

I've never seen a fence with a cross member touching the ground horzontially.

 

[BillyP]

Roundup isn't all that expensive, if you buy it at the right place. I buy it at the farmer's co-op. 2.5 gallons for $125. This is the 41% stuff, not that weak and overpriced junk Wal Mart sells.

 

[Gatorboy]

<font color="blue"> ( Obviously, you could continually spray it with round-up, but that seems like an expesive solution. ) </font>

A $99 1-gallon bottle of RoundUp mixes into about 85 gallons. Not sure how many feet you need to spray, but to just spray a line down your fence line a few times a year would probably use 5-10 gallons. That would take 8.5 years to use up your supply of concentrate, worst case.

 

[rozett]

Your other alternative is to get a propane torch. This will kill the plants (and insects) by incinerating them. Northern Tool has a couple of them, at $60 and $150. But you might need a cart for mobility because they use a 100 pound propane tank.

 

[beenthere]

<font color="blue"> How do you keep the grass/weeds/trees/etc from growing up under the fence? </font>

I would say the answer is "You don't".

Its constant work depending on how short you want to keep the growing material under and around the fence. If you want it green, and not dead, then cut it. IF dead, then use round-up. An alternative is bark, or gravel, or concrete. But even then, the weeds will find a way, and it will be constant (at least monthly) work. I don't see anyway around it. If I did, I would be using that technique now. I have maintained 1000 feet of three-board fence for 40 years now, and it seems to require attention if I want it to look good. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[riptides]

I don't. I use a string trimmer and a fast walk to do my property.

Now around the decorative/saftey fence by the pool, we have
pressure treated lumber under the fence. In contact with the ground. The fence sits a few inches higher than the 2X4. So the string trimmer and lawn mowers beat the 2X4 and not my fence.

-Mike Z. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[DAP]

... and don't spray ANY chemicals if this is an animal containment fence.

/forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

 

[Gatorboy]

<font color="blue"> ( and don't spray ANY chemicals is this is an animal containment fence. ) </font>

Drinking RoundUp is about as harmful as drinking dish soap, so I think a 2 oz / gallon mixture probably would do no harm to animals -- I could be wrong. Does anyone have any links to animals dying or getting sick from RoundUp being sprayed along fence lines?

 

[fishman]

When used in aquatic applications (i.e. on vegetation in ponds), glyphosate is quite safe. There is no waiting period for livestock use, watering, swimming, or fishing. Roundup is not approved for aquatic use due to the surfactant used in it's production. But there are several aquatic-approved versions to choose from.

This doesn't directly address the issue with animals eating sprayed vegetation, but at least is shows they can drink the water with no ill effects.

 

[Ozarker]

Back in the 60's when my dad decided to fence our property, he poured a 6" wide concrete strip under the fence.

We dug the trench all around the perimeter and then dug the post holes. Then he set 2 X 4 forms to make the concrete strip 8" wide an 4" thick. He rented a mixer and we went to get the sand, rock and cement.

We set all the poles first. Then, the next Saturday, I ran the mixer making the cement, my brother ran the wheel barrow taking the cement to my dad who was trowling it into the trench.

No weeds in that fence and no dog ever dug under it. Just set the mower wheels on the concrete strip and cut the grass.

 

[cowboydoc]

Gator is right absolutely no harm at all to animals. You can graze them the next day where the area was sprayed.

 

[EastTexFrank]

If you're going to do it, that's the way to do it. Unfortunately, I did a lot of things when I was younger that I'm not willing to do now ... getting old and lazy I guess. Now I use Roundup or one of the other glycophosphates and a string trimmer.

I've never heard of any livestock being harmed by Roundup but I did see a program on TV ages ago (60 Minutes I think) where people in South America were sueing the DEA because of health problems caused by the aerial application of Roundup to cocoa plants being grown in jungle clearings. I don't know how it turned out or if there was any truth in their claims.

 

[DAP]

There are a lot of anti-pesticide, 'green' peeps who rebut this. I don't know who is right, but I'm not spraying my paddocks with RoundUP.

 

[Gatorboy]

I wish I could remember where I read or heard this, but there is some teacher of agriculture at some college that the first day of class drinks a cup of RoundUp in front of everyone to prove it is not harmful to be injested.

To spray or not to spray is of course a personal choice. I have been using it for almost 25 years, and have never had any problems whatsoever.

 

[cowboydoc]

If we really paid attention to everything that might somehow, someway be a little harmful for you we'd all be living in glass bubbles. When I was in high school we were at a science fair. One bright kid was doing a presentation on a substance that was causing worldwide problems. He went on in a secret way to describe the destructive properties of this substance. By the time he was done he had most of the room ready to ban this substance. The substance he had been talking about the whole time was WATER. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

 

[Lazy]

Hi
I think public water thats been treated can be harmful, so we haven't been drinking water from the tap or using it in cooking in over 30 years. We buy distilled water for drinking and cooking.

Charlie.

 

[cowboydoc]

I think you made my point better than I could have Lazy. You do know there are reported health concerns from drinking distilled water as well. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[Lazy]

Nope, cowboy I haven't heard that. What could be in distilled water that would hurt you? We are talking about distilled water NOT drinking water; I have heard drinking water is just purified tap water but sold as spring water. When we were a kid growing up in Kentucky we would drink water from the Tenn. River while fishing. Now we don't even eat the fish from the river. Good clean water will be hard to come by in a few hundred years or maybe less. Every new home might have to have a still built in for making clean water.