How to Keep Weeds, Vines, and Grass Off Your Chain Link Fence
Chain-link fences are the most widely used type of fencing in the world. Features such as the ability to see through the fence and minimal maintenance requirements make chain link fences the first line of security for many facilities.
However, a lack of proper maintenance can render these features useless and expensive.
The most common maintenance and security problems related to chain link fences are weeds growing on or near the fence.
Here are a few of the best ways to keep your fence clear of unwanted plant materials, and also how to approach fence line vegetation management in different situations.
How Can I Keep Grass Out of a Chain Link Fence?
Unless you are going to set the plants on fire, you really only have two good options to keep weeds and vines away from your fence
- Use a weed-eater
- Treat the vegetation with a herbicide
Weed-Eating
A weed-eater can be an effective method for knocking down many types of weeds, grasses, and other ‘soft-tissue’ plants that might grow on your fence.
Weed-eaters are less effective with woody plant material (plants that have hard stems and survive above ground in the winter), like thick vines or underbrush.
Weed-eating doesn’t typically kill the plant, so it will need to be done continually as the plants grow back.
If you have a relatively small area of fence line and are willing to do the work every couple of weeks during the growing season, a weed-eater is the way to go.
Things to Consider
- Make sure the person doing the work is properly trained to operate the equipment, wears proper protective gear (such as safety glasses, ear protection, and protective clothing), and stays alert so that other people are not harmed by flying debris.
- Weeds that are intertwined in a fence are hard to remove with a weed-eater.
- If you are paying for labor to get the weed-eating done, it will almost certainly be more expensive than one or two herbicide treatments per year.
- Weed-eaters can be a headache to maintain. If the engine won’t start or the string doesn’t feed out properly, it can be frustrating.
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Herbicide Treatments
If done effectively, spraying a fence line with the appropriate herbicide material will provide excellent results. Most often, only one or two fence line treatments per year are needed to keep the fence line clear of brush and weeds.
The reason so few treatments are needed is that the treatments kill the entire weed.
If you choose to perform the herbicide treatments yourself (or have an employee perform the work), be sure any required pesticide licenses are up-to-date and follow all pesticide label instructions.
Fence line spraying eliminates weed eating, makes mowing easier, and keeps your property looking clean and well-maintained.
Weeding can be a weekly chore. Treating a 1-2 foot wide strip along the base of your fence, twice a year, is inexpensive and provides more long-lasting results.
How to Maintain a Chain Link Fence for Better Security
One of the best security benefits of chain link (and wire mesh) fencing is the ability to see through it.
You don’t want your fence to provide hiding places or blind spots. It is important to know what is going on outside of the fence.
Allowing plant materials to block the view through a fence reduces the security value of the fence.
This customer was having issues with squatters that were outside of the fenced, but still on their property. The weeds growing on the fence made it impossible to see what was going on outside of the fenced-in area.
Green Giant sprayed herbicide and eliminated the plants growing on the fence and established a clear-zone out to the road. We have been servicing this account for 5-years and this picture was taken 1-week after a May treatment. The customer receives two treatments a year.
Create a Clear-Zone
Clear zones are simply areas on either side of the fence that have no vegetation and provide an unobstructed view to improve the ability to detect intruders.
Depending on the level of security needed, the size of the clear zone will vary. In a typical commercial setting, a clear zone is often just 1-3 feet wide, while a facility needing a higher level of security may have a 30-foot or wider clear zone.
Prevent Damage to the Fence by Eliminating Weeds and Other Vegetation
Keeping plants off a fence also prevents damage to the fence. Trees and tree limbs can fall onto a fence, causing damage. Plants hold moisture on a fence.
Over time, the fence can then begin to rust. A clean fence line also removes habitat for damaging animals such as groundhogs, mice/rats, skunks, and opossums.
Plant materials like weeds, trees, and other woody plants can also push up the bottom of a fence, allowing a person to crawl under the fence.
Low-lying Vegetation Pressure – Mowed Lawn, Stone/Gravel Areas
In areas where the only vegetation is mowed grass, all that is needed is a 1-foot-wide strip. By keeping this narrow strip clear of grass & weeds, mowing will be much easier, the fence line will look well-kept, and it eliminates the need to weed-eat each week.
Unmaintained Areas with Natural Vegetation Growth
In unmaintained conditions, such as a meadow or woodland area, the clear zone is typically wider than a mowing strip.
If there are vines, trees (including weed trees), and brush growing, the clear zone will often be 3-6 feet wide on either side of the fence.
This is needed to help keep these larger plants from encroaching on the clear zone throughout the year.
Outside of this fence is the edge of a forest. Due to plants growing here (trees, vines, and invasive underbrush) a clear zone at least 3 feet wide is recommended.
With two treatments a year, we can help keep these vines and other plants from growing back onto the fence.
The inside of the fence had been a gravel storage area that is no longer used. At this point, only low-lying weeds are growing here, and a clear-zone strip of 1-2 feet wide is all that is needed to keep the vegetation away from the fence.
Related Article: Not all Weeds are in the Lawn
Don’t Let Plants Push Us to the Bottom of Your Fence
Plants are strong, and they can push up the bottom of a fence – making it easy for someone to crawl through the gap. It can place a tremendous amount of weight on the fence.
It’s hard to see in this picture that these plants pushed the bottom of the fence up about 10 inches.
Ensuring Security and Longevity
Effective vegetation management is essential for maintaining both the security and structural integrity of your chain link fence.
Allowing weeds and vines to grow unchecked creates hiding spots for intruders and adds heavy weight that can damage the mesh and posts over time.
To ensure long-lasting results with minimal effort, professional herbicide treatments remain the most effective solution for keeping your fence line clear throughout the year
Green Giant’s Non-Lawn Weed Control services provide a comprehensive final solution for residential and commercial properties.
Whether you need to maintain clear zones at a facility or keep your home fence line looking pristine, our expert treatments eliminate unwanted growth and save you from the constant hassle of weed-eating.
Contact us today to learn more about how we can protect your perimeter.