I have that nice black vinyl coated chain link fence around my yard. I love it and it's very nice-looking, keeps things out and keeps my dog in. However, when warm weather comes, it kills me to string trim inside and outside that thing because it's not little. I'm a 56 year old woman who lives alone, and my dog refuses to help, and it's about to put me in the grave having to do all that string trimming. I had an idea that if I could find some type of roll of flat rubber product that was thin and would lie flat on the ground, I could slide it under the the fence, centering it (I figured a foot wide would be about right) and I'd have NO MORE string trimming either inside or outside. I'd weed block the corners out to the arc my riding mower will get, plant a white crepe myrtle and mulch it. Then all I'd have to do is ride and DONE. BUT I cannot find a product anything even remotely like what I want. I'm not going to put down hundreds of feet of weed barrier and mulch over it. What a mess! It would go all over the place. Plus that job would put me on into the grave even earlier than what I'm doing now. Anyone know of a product like this that I can slide under my fence that will lie flat, stay flat and not curl up on the ends or become brittle in the southern heat? Or do I need to copyright my idea and get rich? I wish I had the money to manufacture something like this. I think I'd be filthy rich. But for now, I just need to know if you know of anything like this. Don't even mention stuff like RoundUp to me. I'm not buying a tank truck full of that stuff, and that's how much it would take. I want to put something down FOREVER. If it doesn't exist, it should.

You need total vegatation killer not Round up.
It should last up to a year.
Far cheaper, easyer, and faser then what your suggesting.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by rocksister:

Or do I need to copyright my idea and get rich? I wish I had the money to manufacture something like this. I think I'd be filthy rich. QUOTE]

I think you've just described one of the maxims of yard care, that there isn't necessarily an easy way of trimming at the base of a fence.

My yard is 300 feet deep and one side of it is fenced. Dealing with things growing at the base of the fence is something I've tackled for years, and I've found no easy method.

Mulch does not over time prevent weed growth, nor does putting down pavers as weeds can sneak through even the tiniest border between the pavers. Grass is more of a nuisance because of the situation you've described; trimming is time and energy consuming.

There is one alternative but I don't think it would appeal you. It's growing ground cover at the base of the fence and allowing it to grow up and into the grass. You wouldn't have to trim at the fence base and after it's established you can just mow it. But I have the impression you prefer the grass, so this probably isn't an option for you.

Good luck; I hope you find a solution.

Planting something that you can mow up next to can also work. Peonies or Hostas planted at the bottom base of the chain link fence keep trimming in the fence, unnecessary.

As Joe suggested a "soil sterilizer" is often used, just under the fence. If one is careful (painting it on with a wide foam brush or direct concentrated spray) on a NON windy day can work. It need only be done once a year and NOTHING will grow in the treated area for that year (under the fence, in your case). A product that I used to say 9 months, but now I see the sprays saying an entire year. It would probably be the cheapest and fastest solution.