As part of my eco credentials (and improving home security and outlook) I planted 100 hawthorn whips in October last year. They survived the winter and have now doubled in size. However the surrounding grass, nettles and wild flowers are also growing up around the whips at an alarming rate. I put mulch down but it cannot hold the grass back. I have access to an endless supply so could add further mulch but can you add too much? Strimming doesn’t work as I cannot get close enough and am down to 98 whips after a failed attempt.

Other than hours of trimming with scissors how can i keep the surround grass from choking my whips or am I worrying unnecessarily and the mighty Hawthorns will win the battle.

Thanks

cardboard rings placed around the bases of the whips, done by a 16yr old school boy looking for some summer cash. Thats what i did some 30 summers ago for weeks on end. I could do about 100 a day.

Hopefully an expert will be along shortly, but it shouldn’t be an issue. The Hawthorn should continue to push through, growth may be slower with the current competition, but as those die back again the hawthorn will continue to push on.
In fact the growth around it currently may help protect from squirrels, deer etc. Bramble is often encouraged in natural tree planting for that reason.

I could be completely wrong though…

Unless the grass is pampas your hawthorns will outgrow it soon enough. Don’t worry about it. Just remember good gloves when you come to lay it.

As above, use cardboard around the base for a year or two. Put mulch on top to keep it weighted down. It will rot down anyway and feed the new hedge.

But you will have to do a by hand snip/pull of some of it anyway.

Your strimmer should have a guard? Just put the guard against the whip and pivot around the whip whilst strimming the grass

I put mulch down but it cannot hold the grass back.

Surely putting down mulch is just feeding whatever seeds land there?