Weeds can grow virtually anywhere but tend to frequent areas where you’d least expect them – in your potted plants left in the garden, yard grass bed, etc.
Some weeds such as the wandering Jew (Tradescantia zebrina) creeping from your neighbor’s yard, under the fence, then into your compound can be a unique annoyance.
During rainy seasons, there is no telling just how far some weeds can creep and disperse their seeds far and wide to create a new headache for you.
Weeds tend to be prevalent when traveling short distances — say, between your neighbor’s yard to your garden.
Nevertheless, few things are as annoying as a neighbor who can’t take care of their yard.
But, How Can You Stop Your Neighbors’ Weeds From Coming Through And Under The Fence?
There are numerous ways with the effectiveness you need to end this problem for once and for all.
Purchasing the most potent herbicide you could find is one of them.
Let’s take a glance at the entire list more closely:
1. Edging Out
Some weeds spread far and wide through their root systems instead of creeping on the surface of the ground into unwanted areas.
These kinds of weeds are the hardest to control, but a few control methods do exist for them.
Even better, you can choose to edge by your hand with the aid of a sharp flat-tip spade. Slice a V-shaped trench and fill it with mulch.
2. Weed Flaming
Flame weeding is yet another effective way to get rid of weeds. It uses intense heat generated by fuel-burning equipment, either tractor-mounted or hand-held.
Flame weeding usually uses a methane or propane gas burner to create a well-controlled and targeted flame that blows over the unwanted plants.
The objective is not to smother or set the weeds on fire, but to destroy the foliage’s cell structure.
Brief exposure to such intense heat expands the cell sap which disrupts the structure of the cells. The flamed weeds won’t keel immediately but will die inside a few hours or days.
If carried out properly, the weed flaming method will deliver the desired results and is organic approved.
It is also labor and cost-effective, can be completed when fields are either dry or wet, it doesn’t bring dormant seeds or rhizomes to the surface to propagate the weed, and doesn’t set anything on fire because it simply ‘boils’ all the sap out of the cellular structures.
You can even use it to melt snow and ice on driveways and walkways.
We recommend that you use something from the Red Dragon line of products.
You can buy a kit of flamer squeeze valve complete with a handy pilot light on its handle, a dolly, or a backpack kit. If you want something rugged, you can go for the heavy-duty torch. With one of these, you can complete hundreds of meters in a few minutes.
The popularity of weed flaming as a preferred weed-killing method is waning.
3. Pre-emergent Herbicide
If you are not ready to do the dirty job of digging trenches and edging out the offending weeds, try out a pre-emergent herbicide.
Normally spread at the start of the spring, pre-emergent herbicides like corn gluten are good at preventing weed seeds from germinating and sprouting.
This is a great way to put crabgrass under control and other types of weeds that tend to release seeds in the winter and sprout during the following growing seasons.
Note that the chemical formulas in pre-emergent herbicides and weed killers are never effective on young vegetative buds that normally sprout from existing rhizomes or roots.
They also can’t be applied on prepared grass seedbeds because the root stunting mode of operation they use on shoots and young plants would affect sprouting grass.
More established plants in your yard have very little to fear because their root systems are already developed and they are already healthy and hearty.
Pre-emergent information indicates that it’s the sensitive root tissues of freshly germinated seedlings that are killed off, ending up with the complete death of plants.
Here is everything you need to know about pre-emergent herbicides.
4. Fences or Hedges
Thick hedges (think about arborvitae and yews) can serve as a great barrier to windblown creepers and seeds like those of the dandelion plant.
Consider mulching beneath them with about 2” of wood chips or stone to prevent seeds from rooting under the barrier.
A chain-link fence will not help against some creepers and windblown seeds, but a decent stockade privacy fence certainly will.
5. Fortified Lawn
Having a thick and lush lawn immediately in front of the fence can be a good defense against weeds growing from your neighbor’s yard.
Always keep your turf healthy and in good shape by fertilizing, watering, and aerating.
This will make it hard for the seeds of weeds to germinate. It will also help keep creeping plants such as ground ivy from rooting successfully through migrating stems.
6. Rocks or Mulch
Any bare ground with moisture in it provides a great place for seeds of weeds to sprout.
Actually, this is nature’s method of preventing soil erosion and it’s perfectly okay except that it could fill your yard with all kinds of weeds if it is not maintained.
But who wants unwanted plants in their yard, right?
If you have got bare ground anywhere close to your neighbor’s yard, cover it with a piece of new landscape fabric and 2″ to 3″ inches of wood chips and stone.
Occasionally seeds of some weeds will still germinate inside the mulch.
The landscape fabric, however, makes it near impossible to send down roots and grow, so they are simply pulled out.
7. The Salt method
The salt method is probably the cheapest method you could employ to prevent your neighbor’s weeds from crossing into your property.
There are several ways of approaching it.
First, you can add table or rock salt to a bucket of water and stir it until you form a solution. Make a relatively weak mixture to begin with – about 3:1 ratio of freshwater to salt.
Pour the solution on the border where weeds creep into your property from the other side. You might not get it right on the first attempt, so keep increasing the salt in the solution every day until the solution starts to kill the target plant.
It is recommended that you add a bit of regular dish soap and vinegar to boost the potency of the solution. Soap reduces the surface tension on the water, which permits the solution to be readily absorbed by the weed.
Applying salt solution to reduce weed encroachment must be done with great care to avoid inflicting damages to nearby vegetation.
For example, instead of pouring the solution between different containers, try to use a clean funnel to direct your salt solution to the right places with the weed; this can help prevent the solution from spilling and splattering out.
Once you have sprinkled the solution to the right places, water any close-by plants well with freshwater – it will help mitigate the damages and also cause the salt solution to leach under the root zones of the weeds.
Caution: one of the common questions asked by homeowners and gardeners is “Can you pour salt crystals on the bare ground to eliminate weeds?” It sounds effective. It does work, yes, but is not the best practice because it can damage the surrounding soil and vegetation.
The salt solution weed-killing technique can work best if you dilute and apply salt directly to the creeping weeds.
Stay cautious when mixing and working with salt and salt solutions – do not rub your hands in the eyes immediately before you wash your hands.
Conclusion
How can you stop your neighbors’ weeds from coming through and under the fence?
There are numerous ways with the effectiveness you need to end this problem for once.
If you are not ready to do the dirty job of digging trenches and edging out the offending weeds, try out a pre-emergent herbicide.
Normally spread at the start of the spring, pre-emergent herbicides like corn gluten are good at preventing weed seeds from germinating and sprouting.
Flame weeding is yet another effective way to get rid of weeds.
It uses intense heat generated by fuel-burning equipment, either tractor-mounted or hand-held.
Flame weeding usually uses a methane or propane gas burner to create a well-controlled and targeted flame that blows over the unwanted plants.
Thick hedges (think about arborvitae and yews) can serve as a great barrier to windblown creepers and seeds like those of the dandelion plant.
Having a thick and lush lawn immediately in front of the fence can be a good defense against weeds growing from your neighbor’s yard.
The salt method is probably the cheapest method you could employ to prevent your neighbor’s weeds from crossing into your property.
