What to Use to kill all growth around Hydrangea?

Slipshaney

I live in an estate, and recently removed a large flax bush, and planted a few Hydrangea in its place…there is now some weeds/grass growing around these, and I was wondering whats best to use to kill all growth, without damaging the plants?

Rows Grower

A weed mat.

Slipshaney

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122675519#Comment_122675519

Thanks for reply. Its quite a large area so would need a lot of matt! Thought there might be a spray that I could use…..the guys who maintain the estate spray something that seems to do the job, but I havent been able to catch them!

Mississippi.

A hoe every few weeks

Rows Grower

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122675531#Comment_122675531

The mats are 10m x 1m so size shouldn't be an issue. The guys using a spray are probably using something that won't be good for hydrangeas.

Slipshaney

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122675653#Comment_122675653

spot on thanks again…so put down the matt, and put decorative stones/bark on top is it?

Rows Grower

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122675660#Comment_122675660

That's the best way to use it but you'll probably still find you have to remove small weeds that start to sprout on top of the mat after a while, that's just bird droppings or nature doing it's thing.

standardg60

Once the leaves of the hydrangeas fall you can spray the area with glyphosate no bother.

Slipshaney

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122677891#Comment_122677891

Thank you - will this kill all vegetation?

standardg60

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122679192#Comment_122679192

Yep anything that still has leaves.

looksee

Not sure about the suggestion to wait until leaves have fallen. At that stage the weeds will be pretty much dormant, and even though there may be some green it will not be very active. So glyphosphate is not going to have much, if any, effect. You need vigorous new growth for glyphosphate to be effective.

At the same time I am not enthusiastic about using weed control membrane on beds - use it on paths and drives, but on beds it is not all that effective and in fact encourages bindweed and scutch grass especially to grow up through the roots of the plant right against the stem of the shrubs, which makes them very difficult to remove and disturbs the membrane, which makes the problem worse.

Eventually hydrangeas make big enough shrubs that they will keep the weeds down themselves for the most part. I suggest hand weeding at the moment and put down a good layer of mulch. Hoe off new weeds in the spring, but if you find you need to spray the area do it on a very still day, avoiding the hydrangea leaves, and/or use a large piece of light board or card to protect the plant as you spray adjacent.

Earlier this year I was trying to eliminate three cornered leek from between daffodil bulbs so decided to spray at the point when the garlic was green but the daffs were not showing, and accidentally sprayed over a leafy, tiny hydrangea that I was supposedly 'minding'. I immediately poured water over the hydrangea and it was not affected at all by the spray.

I got rid of most of the garlic, will repeat the operation next year.

standardg60

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122679304#Comment_122679304

Glyphosate still works fine in winter once there's leaves to spray, it just takes longer for them to die off.

Slipshaney

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122679304#Comment_122679304

Thats very helpful, thanks for your help

looksee

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122679314#Comment_122679314

I'm not convinced, but generally, by the time hydrangeas have lost their leaves the annual weeds will be dead, with their seeds waiting for spring to pop up again. Some perennial weeds will have lost their leaves but be waiting to regrow in spring, and others like dandelion, scutch, buttercup, nettles will be easy enough to see and just dig or pull out, then spray any re-growth in spring when it is vigorous.

Btw Slipshany, I misspoke when I said hoe out new weeds in spring - not if you have mulch, only if it is bare soil. If you have mulch you have to hand weed (which is a lot easier in mulch) or spray.

Slipshaney

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122679351#Comment_122679351

Thanks again for that - its just a basic bed, so no mulch or anything…its actually not on my land, just a random bed thats close to my house that I want to try and keep in check!