How Can I Permanently Remove Grass From Under My Fence?

One of the banes of many home and property owners is unwanted grass. Simply mowing the grass gets to be a tedious task, especially when the nuisance grass in question grows in the clearing underneath a wooden or chain link fence that's a few inches from the ground. Luckily a few remedies exist that can help kill the grass once and for all and eliminate the aggravating need to mow or weed in such a small area.

Grass clippers

Old newspaper or black plastic

Mulch

U-shaped garden staples

Hammer

Spray bottle (optional)

Vinegar (optional)

Check your local forecast and choose a day that will be sunny and warm with little to no chance of rain. Use grass clippers to manually clip the grass as close to the soil as possible. Remove all the clipped grass from the area to prevent re-seeding of any grass. Lay two layers of old newspaper or strips of black plastic (cut to size) underneath the fence line, over the grass you want to kill.

Hammer U-shaped garden stakes into the newspaper or plastic every foot or so to hold the cover in place. Although mulch won't necessarily help kill the grass since the cover is in place, cover the plastic or paper with some mulch for aesthetic purposes if desired. Wait approximately 1 week and remove the cover from the grass.

Check the condition: if the grass is dying off due to the heat of some dry and warm days, replace the cover and leave it for 2 to 3 weeks. If stubborn growth is present that has yet to die away, fill a spray bottle with pure white vinegar and spray the area well to speed up the grass-killing process. Replace the cover. Wait 2 to 3 weeks following the vinegar application and remove the cover. The grass should be dead.