Lawn mowing is a standard gardening practice that keeps your garden tidy and helps maintain healthy grass.
The trimming removes weeds and allows your grass to regrow with more rigor and thickness. However, mowing your lawn at the edges can be quite an uphill task, especially if you have a chain link fence.
While it would be impossible to do away with the fence, you want to stop grass from growing underneath.
So, how should you go about it? Let’s get moving.
Keeping Grass From Growing Under Chain Link Fence: What All Is Required?
You will need the following materials, to begin with.
- Glyphosate herbicide (premixed)
- Pea gravel/ mulch
- Stakes
- Landscape fabric
- Landscape staples
- Strings
- Spade
Steps Involved
Follow the below-mentioned steps to keep your fencing free of grass.
- Trenching the fenceline
- Spraying the remaining grass with premixed glyphosate
- Laying the landscape fabric
Let’s break this down further:
Trenching The Fence Line
Using strings and stakes, mark six inches into your yard from the fence line. Make sure you aren’t trespassing into someone else’s property or a public area.
The strings are essential in restricting the area you will dig.
Using a spade, you now want to dig 1-2 inches deep along the string with a spade. Take care not to damage the bottom edge of the fence.
While digging, eliminate all the grass and weeds along with the roots. Any remnants can bring them back later.
Spraying The Remaining Grass With Premixed Glyphosate
Now, your spade cannot reach the grass underneath the chainlink fence. Here is where premixed glyphosate herbicide comes in handy.
Spray the herbicide thoroughly underneath the fence. This will eliminate any grass remains or seeds.
Preferably do this on a less windy day to prevent the chemical from spreading to other plants in the yard.
Home-Made Alternative
You can also use vinegar, salt, and liquid detergent to make your herbicide. Add a cup of salt and one tablespoon of liquid detergent to a gallon of vinegar.
Apply the mixture with the help of a handheld sprayer.
Laying The Landscape Fabric
Your next step is to trim the landscape fabric in proportion to the width of the trench.
The landscape fabric covers the exposed soil— grass and other pesky weeds aren’t allowed sunlight, air, or moisture to thrive.
Use landscape staples, and insert them into the fabric a foot apart to hold it in place.
Cover the fabric with pea gravel or mulch, spreading it evenly using your hands. You want to achieve a level with the surrounding grass.
You can also use artificial grass or decorative mulch for better aesthetics.
Maintaining Your Garden Fence
Having a chain link fence in your garden comes at a cost, and you wouldn’t want to let such an investment go to waste. We recommend the following maintenance practices to keep your fence serving you longer.
1. Eliminate Trees And Other Vegetation From Around the Fence
Trees planted near the fence could easily fall, causing irreparable damage to your fence line. Besides, dense vegetation can expose the fence to moisture levels that could accelerate rusting and increase your maintenance workload.
2. Keep Vines And Weeds Off For Enhanced Visibility
A chain link fence ensures security while retaining visibility across it. Vines and weeds hanging all around the fence provide hiding spots, thus defeating the very purpose of the fence.
3. Apply Rust Proof Coating And Clean Thoroughly
Clean your chain link fence thoroughly with warm water and soap to remove dirt and dust. This will also allow you to identify and repair rust spots or other blemishes that could become a bigger problem later.
Invest in a high-quality rust-resistant coating to prolong the life of your fence.
Conclusion
If you have a chainlink fence in your yard, clearing the grass growing under it can be a daunting challenge.
A typical lawnmower just doesn’t quite cut it. Instead, we recommend preventing grass or other vegetation from growing altogether.
Just follow the handy step-by-step guide above to keep your fence grass free.
