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Dear Nice people

I'm in the process of installing an electric fence around the my current fence to stop my dogs escaping and killing neighbour's chickens.(I'm happy re electric fences and all the installation). I'm wondering if laying mulch under the electric wires will suppress the weeds for awhile. How long will it last?
How do I make a suitable Mulch as I've lots of wood which can be used? Do I need to buy a machine(if so, which one?) or can I rent them?

Thanks for your help!

Andy

Mulching will keep down most annual weeds. The perennial ones (nettle, dock etc.) will simply ignore it and grow straight through.

Mike

Thanks for the heads up - Any tips on how to make it?

vancheese wrote:Dear Nice people

I'm in the process of installing an electric fence around the my current fence to stop my dogs escaping and killing neighbour's chickens.(I'm happy re electric fences and all the installation). I'm wondering if laying mulch under the electric wires will suppress the weeds for awhile. How long will it last?
How do I make a suitable Mulch as I've lots of wood which can be used? Do I need to buy a machine(if so, which one?) or can I rent them?

Thanks for your help!

Andy

There are usually a lot of tree branches cut up in most neighbourhoods. I get mine supplied by the city stored in a park. All I have to do is pick them up, which I do with a half cubic yard box in my van.

Under the fence lay a wide strip of pool cover material or similar and lay about six inches of mulch on top. Nothing will grow under or through the mulch. Light getting to the ground is the growing culprit. I say this with confidence, since I put mulch on such and there was bare ground when removed. The material alone was insufficient, but material and mulch was totally affective. If you have sufficient money, black dyed mulch can be purchases with is attractive in its own right from a short distance of viewing, since it appears like good earth.