Have you discovered grass growing under or around your fence? A fenced-in yard offers several benefits. It creates a safer play area for children and pets; it creates a more private landscape; and it can potentially increase your home’s value.
Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon for grass to grow around fences, making it difficult for homeowners to maintain. So, how do you prevent grass from growing under a fence?
Weed-Eater
Of course, you can always use a weed-eater to eliminate any grass, plants or weeds that emerge around your fence. Also known as a weed-whacker, it features a monofilament line that rapidly spins while chopping down brush.
Ideally, you should run the weed-eater as close to your fence as possible without actually touching the fence. This will remove the greatest amount of grass while protecting your fence and weed-eater from damage.
Vinyl Strips
A lesser-known tactic for keeping outdoor fences grass- and weed-free involves the use of vinyl strips. Assuming you have a traditional chain fence in your yard or landscape, you can apply a thin strip of vinyl underneath to discourage grass from growing. The vinyl strip only needs to be about 6 inches wide, running the length of your fence.
Spray It
Another option is to spray an herbicide against the base of your fence. This will kill any grass, plants or weeds, without damaging your fence. Roundup is highly effective for this purpose, or you can make your own herbicide using salt and/or vinegar mixed with water.
Whether you use a store-bought or homemade herbicide, though, you should apply it only in areas where you don’t want grass or weeds to grow. Spraying even small amounts on your healthy lawn will likely result in patches of brown, dead grass, so use it with caution.
If the grass isn’t bothering you, you could always ignore it. This isn’t always the best solution, though, as it typically spreads and grows into thicker brush if not addressed.
You can mow your lawn, but unfortunately you can’t easily mow around a fence. Given enough time, grass is certain to emerge from under a fence. Thankfully, though, there are ways to keep it under control. As outlined above, some possible solutions for keeping grass at bay includes weed-eating it, applying vinyl strips underneath, or spraying it with an herbicide. With a little bit of work, you can regain control of your lawn.
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The post is very useful, I learned a lot from it. Thanks for sharing!
You can apply the chemical to the unwanting grass. Appreciate your post.
The vinyl strip seems like a good solution, but will the grass stolons grow underneath and either push up the vinyl strip or pop out on the other side? The application I am using it for is a flower bed near a fence line which is mulch but the grass is coming underneath the fence from a neighbors lawn.
That’s always a possibility but if you bury the vinyl strip far enough into the ground that shouldn’t be a problem.
Hello. We share an aluminum fence with a neighbor. We are looking for a product to go under the fence that will eliminate weeds on both sides. Our yards have a downward slope in the back. All the products we have seen for “under the fence application” only show it used in flat yards. There are no pictures of any products used in yards with a slope. Is there anything you can recommend? We do not want to use chemicals because of children and a dog.
Hi Noreen. I do not have a recommendation for the type of product you have described.