Strimming Around Small Trees...

CyberDave

I have allowed the grass to get too long around my beech trees (planted last year) and now it very difficult to see the difference between the trees and the grass. I know it's terrible.

I have been slowly working through them strimming, but have nicked a few and I may have killed them, so looking for any trick to avoid hitting the trees, or indeed if there is a chemical I can use that will kill the grass but not the trees. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

periodictable

Forget the strimmer-tree casualties all over the country!
Use glyphosate marketed as Roundup or Gallup(cheaper but same active ingredient).
Spray 120cm diameter circle around the trees, making sure not to hit the tree bark with the spray. You can make a cowl for the top of the spray-lance by cutting off the top of a 2L soft drink bottle and fitting it over the end.
Tests have shown that with proper grass control around trees, they grow up to 66% more.
Good luck!

bbam

Definitely use Gallup.
We use it here in the farm.

Gallup or roundup can be sprayed onto the bark and not do any harm to trees. The active ingredient is only absorbed into green foliage.

Another tip is to mix it much lighter than the recommended 20:1, we mix it down to 100:1 as do many farmers and it will kill grass and weeds, just slower.
We weed licked weeds three weeks ago and they are just showing signs of going orange now. We've been doing this for a few years now.

fryup

get down on your knees and pull up the long grass

CyberDave

fryup wrote: »

get down on your knees and pull up the long grass

Why would you bother leaving a comment like that?

To the other two people. Thanks for the feedback. The grass is very long, so may have to clip it with regular hedge-trimmers first...

looksee

CyberDave wrote: »

Why would you bother leaving a comment like that?

To the other two people. Thanks for the feedback. The grass is very long, so may have to clip it with regular hedge-trimmers first...

Its a perfectly reasonable suggestion - I was going to say it myself - if you hand pull the grass from around the trees you can see where you are going without those nasty brown circles all over the garden.

periodictable

bbam wrote: »

Definitely use Gallup.
We use it here in the farm.

Gallup or roundup can be sprayed onto the bark and not do any harm to trees. The active ingredient is only absorbed into green foliage.

Another tip is to mix it much lighter than the recommended 20:1, we mix it down to 100:1 as do many farmers and it will kill grass and weeds, just slower.
We weed licked weeds three weeks ago and they are just showing signs of going orange now. We've been doing this for a few years now.

Do not spray on tree bark unless you know your tree physiology!
Certain trees have chloroplasts in the bark and these will absorb herbicide.
I've included a Monsanto/Roundup advisory about spraying around trees.

http://www.monsanto-ag.co.uk/content.output/230/230/Roundup/Application%20Information/Spraying%20Around%20Trees.mspx

I use Gallup- it's much less expensive and use a shot of washing up liquid in the mix so ensure more effective plant penetration.

Oldtree

strimmers can be very effective at ring barking trees :eek:

tommy2bad

Depending on the size of the tree you could cut some wast pipe and put a cut down one side of the pipe ,put it around the tree, unless your strimming so low you get under it, it will save the bark from getting ringed.
Just watch for the plastic getting tight on the trunk over the years.

paddy147

As suggested by others........Pull the grass out by hand around the immediate base of the trees.

Or a good hand shears and a quick clip of the grass around the base of the trees.

A bit of 2 inch white waste pipe with a slot cut out so that you can open up the pipe and fit it around the tree...if they are small.slender enough to do it.
Keep and eye on the trees growth so that it doesnt get damaged by the white waste pipe.

peadar76

yep, I regularly have to pull grass by hand from around the base of trees. No big deal

fryup

CyberDave wrote: »

Why would you bother leaving a comment like that?

wasn't being cheeky, honestly its the best and do it whilst the grass is long> easier to grasp

keltoms05

agree with everyone above, pulling the grass out by hand wont take long and no chance of damaging the tree.

OilBeefHooked2

bbam wrote: »

Definitely use Gallup.
We use it here in the farm.

Gallup or roundup can be sprayed onto the bark and not do any harm to trees. The active ingredient is only absorbed into green foliage.

Another tip is to mix it much lighter than the recommended 20:1, we mix it down to 100:1 as do many farmers and it will kill grass and weeds, just slower.
We weed licked weeds three weeks ago and they are just showing signs of going orange now. We've been doing this for a few years now.

That mixing rate seems excessively strong, 50:1 is recommended by barclays here and in my experience has always worked well, mixing at a stronger rate has a detrimental effect on the usefullness of glyphosate, as the leaves and stems die too quickly before it has a chance to reach the roots.
Also as a rule of thumb, you shouldn't spray anything you don't want to kill, sounds obvious but spraying directly onto the bark of trees that you want to keep is never a good idea.

monkeynuz

Cut a square of turf from around the tree and keep it weed free best method for looking after young trees or buy mulch mats after removing the grass.

ted1

Get a pipe, cut it along the side put it around the tree and strim away

Oldtree

if you do use a bit of pipe make sure it is soft enough to easily remove after a number of years as when removing sturdy pipe can damage the bark when pulling off or left to strangle the tree. on the other hand soft piping can easily be cut by the strimmer without being noticed.

there is no easy substitute for pulling or cutting away the grass by hand or using weedkiller.

guinnessfan

CyberDave wrote: »

Why would you bother leaving a comment like that?

Because that's what most of us do!:D

CJhaughey

Put a ring of bark mulch around the tree, deep enough that weed won't like it.
Any that do come through can be easily dealt with.
It looks better than a ring of dead yellow grass or moss.

C.K Dexter Haven

CJhaughey wrote: »

Put a ring of bark mulch around the tree, deep enough that weed won't like it.
Any that do come through can be easily dealt with.
It looks better than a ring of dead yellow grass or moss.

Bark mulch certainly keeps weeds down but in my experience can bring on diseases such as brown rot on the leaves in some species, especially fruit trees.

Keeping the base clear does help a tree remain disease free.

Oldtree

You could use composted bark and damp it down when applying, that way it won't dry up and blow away in the wind like most of the rubbish bark mulches on sale. You could initially weedkill the circle around the tree then put down a circle of mypex and then apply thick layer of composted bark.

paddy147

Bit of Mypex and a bit of bark chip.


Simples.:)