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Nick starts with ... Hi everyone, I've been looking everywhere for an organic way to stop grass continually returning around my fruit trees- I find I have to give all my trees a big weed every few weeks and the groundcover sure doesn't help with my hydrophobic soil. If I could place a barrier (say, wood because it relatively cheap?) to a certain depth could that stop it? | About the Author Nick T Altona, VIC 3rd April 2012 11:00am #UserID: 2663 Posts: 727 View All Nick T's Edible Fruit Trees |
| About the Author Diego 3rd April 2012 12:20pm #UserID: 4715 Posts: 283 View All Diego's Edible Fruit Trees |
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| About the Author JUJUBE FOR SALE 3rd April 2012 12:31pm #UserID: 2706 Posts: 715 View All JUJUBE FOR SALE's Edible Fruit Trees |
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Nick says... Unfortunately mulch never helps, the bloody couch always finds it way up (plus the birds toss half the mulch over the lawn....). I was thinking of maybe putting in some planks of wood in a square about a metre away from the trunk (not sure what would be a decent depth) and then spraying the grass immediately around the edge of the square with some kind of herbicide that would keep the grass at bay for a while. Apparently there's a kind of herbicide that people use in most orchards to keep grass away from their trees? | About the Author Nick T Altona, VIC 15th April 2012 9:37pm #UserID: 2663 Posts: 727 View All Nick T's Edible Fruit Trees |
Brendan says... Hi Nick, try Glyphosate (Round Up). I buy the cheaper version from bunnings, it's made by Brunnings. Make sure you get the 360g/L one. Try not to get too much on the trunk of the tree, but it doesn't seem to hurt my fruit trees. When adding cardboard & mulch on top, try making the mulch thicker, like 300 to 400mm thick. | About the Author Brendan Mackay, Q 16th April 2012 6:40am #UserID: 1947 Posts: 1722 View All Brendan's Edible Fruit Trees |
| About the Author GardeningAustraliaWanabee 16th April 2012 8:37am #UserID: 650 Posts: 9 View All GardeningAustraliaWanabee's Edible Fruit Trees |
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Nick says... Thanks Brendan, if I spray some normal herbicide (say, roundup) about a metre away from the trunk, 1. would it kill the grass rhizomes as well as the leaves?, 2. would it harm the tree at all? and 3. how long would the effects last for? Ideally I wouldn't have to apply to often- I think there is a once a year path weeder herbicide at Bunnings? :) | About the Author Nick T Altona, VIC 25th April 2012 5:09pm #UserID: 2663 Posts: 727 View All Nick T's Edible Fruit Trees |
Mike says... Nick glyphosate breaks down very quickly on contact with the soil and doesn't seem to adversely impact on tree roots or the plant above the grass.Just don't get it on non-target foliage or the tree trunk.It is absorbed into foliage and circulates killing most rhizomes.It is best to follow up with a few squirts on surviving bits in about 4 weeks. | About the Author Cairns 25th April 2012 6:44pm #UserID: 5418 Posts: 1438 View All 's Edible Fruit Trees |
| About the Author Nick T Altona, VIC 25th April 2012 10:20pm #UserID: 2663 Posts: 727 View All Nick T's Edible Fruit Trees |
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| About the Author Cairns 25th April 2012 10:38pm #UserID: 5418 Posts: 1438 View All 's Edible Fruit Trees |
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