Weeds growing faster than new heathers

[januszsobolewski]

I have planted a couple of 100 heathers (about 6cm plants) on a slopping area of garden as I want low ground cover. Unfortunately I didn't kill the weeds first. The weeds are now growing faster than the plants. This is in my house in France so I am not there all the time to weed it.

What can I now do to kill the weeds and not the heather? Also, what can I use to boost the faster growth of the heather?

 

[JohnD]

you can either hoe the weeds once a week forever, or apply a thick mulch, or you can water on Pathclear weedkiller. This kills the plants whose leaves it touches, and also leaves a film on the surface of the soil that prevents new seeds germinating. If you hoe, dig or disturb the soil with a powerful hosepipe, you will break this film, and weeds will grow. If you get any weedy patches later, apply a second treatment to those patches.

It does not kill the roots of plants, so, as long as you keep it of their leaves, it will not harm the heathers.

My own preference would be to hoe a couple of times in hot sunny weather, and apply a thick dry mulch of compost (do not dig it in) to the clean soil. If you do not already have a compost heap there, start two now. Lawn mowings alone do not compost well, abut are OK mixed in with leaves and prunings, or if left to dry before being gathered up.

 

[januszsobolewski]

Thanks for the ideas. Although I prefer the natural way, I am just not there all the time so can't do that - and when I'm there I have lots of other jobs to do. Will go down chemical route.