Weed control/hedgerows

I have about one acre of garden, bounded by hedgerows. There's a lot of dead matter in the hedgerows but I live in hope that some ivy will start to climb amongst it - so far the ivy seems determined to stay on the ground. I'm trying to thicken the hedgerows by pushing cuttings of buddleia, holly, laurel and bay into the ground. But also in amongst the hedgerows and flowerbeds are huge numbers of weed seedlings. I've identified hairy bittercress, bindweed, nettles and ground elder.....some of these are too far into the hedgerows for me to reach.

My question is this: Would a mulch of grass clippings suppress the weeds? I don't want to make things worse and have to remove the mulch later on to dig out more weeds.

 

We had the same problem and still do to a certain extent. ivey can be a real problem, so take care as it can very soon take a strangle hold on everything.

We eventually pulled some of our hedge up and started again with Prunus lucitanica, you are always going to get ground elder etc comming in from the field so we just spray this now.

Part of our other boundery we have put budlea and this works well, we also have a yew boundery a Beeck and yes even a leylandii and an informal one of currant, holly and other assorted shrubs.

 

I don't think that a grass mulch will suppress the tough weeds that you mention... You are never going to be able to dig up the roots of ground elder and bindweed. Nettles are so beneficial that I would leave them where they are. Ivy will grow upwards if you stop it growing outwards. Just cut off the ivy which is growing on the ground and pull or dig out its roots. Ground ivy and Bindweed laugh at weedkillers and you will just poison your hedge and anything else nearby. Cut them and cut them and cut them! If you stop them sending out new leaves, they can't make chlorophyl and so will soon starve to death - permanently. Its the only way and its easy.

 

Grass mulch won't do it, and I wouldn't worry too much about weeds in the hedgerow, nettles and the like are liked by wildlife - I'd be more worried about field bindweed and ground elder spreading into the garden. They spread by underground runners - not sure the best way to stop them spreading in - perhaps a membraned, bark mulched wide path (that seems to have worked for me)- or a physical barrier?

 

Thanks for the replies. As the hedgerow boundaries exceed 600 ft I guess the only solution is constant weeding and cutting.

 

best way to stop weed growing in past your hedge is to plant lawn next to it then just mow over weeds.