I found what I think are weeds spreading from my neighbors yard

Nancy Turner
by Nancy Turner
I found these growing through and into my yard through the chain link fence on the east side of the backyard while I was pulling up creeping Charlie and other weeds. Are these weeds or stray plants. I need to know if they should be pulled or not. The one with the yellow flower bleeds florescent orange if you break a stem.
  15 answers
  • Stephanie Mitchell Stephanie Mitchell on Jun 24, 2017

    Sounds like your neighbor is pointing his discharge towards the fence. You might want to put up a small low wall. Either use tarps or you can even use clear plastic. Weave it in and out of the chain links and see if that helps. Other than blowing back into his yard and put a natural weed killer there every time the neighbor wants to mow. Or just ask him to point it another way. Which I doubt will win you neighbor of the year award.

    Hopes this helps.

    • Nancy Turner Nancy Turner on Jun 24, 2017

      I would think about that, but I would have to do that around the whole back yard which would be challenging, I have two very steep hilled tiers in the back yard and nothing is really level to work with. The neighbors on that side are really nice, they just don't clean up the back corner but every few years, and this year is worse than ever because it has been so warm with lots of rain. I don't think they own a weed eater to use, I have never seen him use one in three years.

  • 2dogal 2dogal on Jun 24, 2017

    If you don't want it in your yard, it's a weed!  Some weeds are just beautiful, and can be allowed to grow. It's up to you.

  • Deborah Coyner Petch Deborah Coyner Petch on Jun 24, 2017

    It is called Greater Celandine and is very invasive. It has some medicinal uses, but can also be toxic, so you probably should eliminate it. Stephanie's suggestions are really good for trying to keep it out once you get rid of it.

    • Nancy Turner Nancy Turner on Jun 24, 2017

      Thanks for the info. I have four dogs and I will definitely get rid of it as soon as the weather allows me to do it. I have one dog that loves her salads, at least she only does grass, got part of a dandelion once and it was really funny watching her spit that out!

  • Nancy Turner Nancy Turner on Jun 24, 2017

    Does any one know what the other plant in the third picture is? I have never seen a plant like that before. I will definitely get rid of the other plant when th storms quit passing through. Already had two since I posted this. I will spray along the fence to get rid of it, will have to use something ok with grass as they have a perfect lawn except where the back fence runs across the back of the yard and about twenty feet down my side. They have almost no trees, so they can grow great grass vs. the four huge trees shading my back yard(one is there tree and another is the neighbors on the other side).

  • Bahama bill Bahama bill on Jun 24, 2017

    Round up has a new weed killer you can use on grass kills the weeds but does not hurt the lawn grasses.

    • Nancy Turner Nancy Turner on Jun 24, 2017

      I have used that one for years for dandelions and thistle, I will use it as soon as the weather calms down and dries up a bit. Layers of storms have been hitting today with sun in between.

  • Dee Dee on Jun 24, 2017

    vinegar and salt water will do the same thing as Round up

  • Nancy Turner Nancy Turner on Jun 24, 2017

    I don't want to kill their grass or what little I have along the fence, I also found a raspberry plant real close to the weeds that I would like to save if I can. I will not use salt as the salt gets into the water table and never goes away. The freshwater streams, rivers and lakes have rising salinity now from the indiscriminate use of salt on roads, driveways and sidewalks.

  • Nancy Turner Nancy Turner on Jun 25, 2017

    I have four dogs and a doggy door, so I am concerned more for their safety than liking what a weed looks like and still need to know if anyone knows what the second weed, the third picture is. If it could be a danger I will treat for it before it gets beyond the fence line. I have already decided on what else needs to go, but can't treat until the weather straitens up and stays dry for more than a couple of hours a day.

  • Rozmund Rozmund on Jun 25, 2017

    How long an area is this problem..on my ranch I had the same thing.for 40 feet.I planted my flower beds right up to the joint wooden fence..I used a plastic retainer to keep my soil and roots on my property..I water away from this fence to encourage my roots to follow the water...AWAY FROM THE FENCE...well that worked for 4 years..this year the madam next door decided not to cut her grass at all..so her weed roots and weed seeds and even her grass roots all followed my water source..into my beds...so in desperation...I raised the retaining wall behind my flower beds on our shared fence....up 6 inches..just using old lumber..where there was just grass I laid the planks down touching our joint fence on my side..the weeds have already started to die from lack of light..in order to discourage them from coming back instead of grass up against our joint fence base I plan to plant forget me knot seeds..which are not only pretty, but seed themselves...they are biennials..and they pull out so easy..but keep the weeds away...I will not move any of the weed infected soil..that just encourages them to grow..after I sprinkle all of these white, pink and blue FMN seeds I will cover with one sheet of newspaper and pin down..until the weed seeding time is over...then I will allow the FMN seeds to see daylight and they will set roots and grace me with delight in the Spring..for at least 6 weeks..the worst effect this may have is madam may get some pretty flowers growing at the base of our joint fence instead of the weeds...


  • Nancy Turner Nancy Turner on Jun 25, 2017

    It sounds like a good idea to me, but I first have to get rid of the weeds and baby trees and save the raspberry cane at the same time before I can do anything. Having a chain link fence that is just above ground level allows anything and everything to come through three sides of our back yard and to top it off, nothing is level because of the two tiers and the two steep hills to get to them. Even the top of the tiers still has a little downhill. None of the neighbors, even behind me take care of the weeds at the fence. It is too expensive on social security to do anything around the periphery of the entire back yard. Because of the four dogs I only have a fenced veggie garden in back, they don't allow anything to grow, not even grass. They have trampled almost all of my hostas and even pulled up the black edging that was around the two trees. I would never see the flowers if I seeded around the fence because of two storerooms, one on each side of the first tier top. I don't want to do anything that would offend my neighbors, they are all really nice people, they just don't know anything about the etiquette of joint fence lawn care. I have at least 20 years more lifetime experience than they all do and one family is from Bosnia. All I can do is treat or pull weeds on an ongoing basis. Keeps me busy when weather permits and out of the house.

  • Stephanie Mitchell Stephanie Mitchell on Jun 26, 2017

    If you have a weed eater maybe the two of you could work out a plan too stop those weeds from coming in your yard.

    • Nancy Turner Nancy Turner on Jun 26, 2017

      I wish I could, but I have never seen them use a weed eater or anything other than a lawn mower, yet the have such a gorgeous lawn all the time. They are a very private family and you very rarely even see them.

  • Stephanie Mitchell Stephanie Mitchell on Jun 30, 2017

    You said that you have other neighbors and they don't take care of their fence row? You could be getting that pesky weed from one of them. Certain seeds do travel a long way. Spray your plants that you want to keep with citrus. Orange is said to be the best. I don't know. I just yell at the neighbors dogs when they try to get into my yard. I live in the country so there are no rules as far as dogs go. Then there is the opossum, raccoon, foxes and such. But they don't bother my flower beds either. My aunt used horseradish to help keep the chickens in and the foxes out and it worked very well. I have some at the end of my flower bed nearest the tree line. And the moles don't like that. It is not hard to grow and if you like it all the better.

    • Nancy Turner Nancy Turner on Jul 01, 2017

      Nobody but me takes care of the fence line but me. Because of the privacy fence the back neighbors had to put up for their above ground pool, they can't get back to the chain link fence. The other two sides there is no excuse, but they just don't do anything, so I have to fight to keep the fence line cleaned. I try to keep anything else from migrating into the yard to keep the dogs and grandkids safe. Our area in SE MN is also in the midst of having hemlock showing up so I have to be vigilant to make sure that the birds and wind aren't spreading it into the yard. With all the wooded areas it will be easy for it to appear anywhere.

  • Stephanie Mitchell Stephanie Mitchell on Jul 01, 2017

    I take it you have mulch around your plants? If not, jet some and really give it double dose. Spread it pretty thick and the dogs don't like to walk on it. My cats don't like to mess in it either. Other than that, you might want to consider some type of small fencing. Maybe a foot high. They sell it at most Wal-Marts or any other store that carries plants. Hope I've helped some. Wish you the best.


    • Nancy Turner Nancy Turner on Jul 01, 2017

      I had to increase my veggie fence from 4 feet to 8 feet because two of them could flatfoot jump it. I don't really have much going in the back because I have two very steep tiered hills to go up to get to the top. They have already taken care of most of the hostas, etc. that were planted around the huge birch and the huge elm. I don't get hardly any sun except at the top of the second tier and the thought of having to take everything up there each time to care for other gardens is not really welcome. Sometimes taking care of the periphery of the fence takes enough of my time, and I still have to take care of everything else on top of it. I have a largish veggie garden in back yard. On the driveway side of the house I have a virtual jungle, six hanging strawberries and six huge hostas and six huge ferns , and six tuberous begonias on one side of the driveway. The other side has one huge early girl tomato(six feet high without the pot), a small half barrel of lettuce with a pepper in the middle, a large pot with three peppers, six small pots of lettuce, six herbs, a large pot of dill and two hibiscus plants. In front I have two hibiscus, two large half barrels of elephant ears and coleus, six tuberous begonias around the yard light, and oodles of hostas and a few other plants that like morning sun. I also am chief cook and bottle washer for my hubby and son, feed the dogs when my son is at work in the evening, take care of three fish tanks daily, and take care of hubby as his health is not the best, and all he wants to do is go fishing. More garden is not an option for me. Hubby can make it up the hills maybe a couple times a week and all he does is sit and watch me.

  • Stephanie Mitchell Stephanie Mitchell on Jul 02, 2017

    Boy it really sounds like you do have your work cut out for you. I got tired just reading what you have. I used to have fish and I know what a chore that can be. Was raising fish to sell at the local pet shop. Then I had like 6 or 7 different tanks but then I was a lot younger and had tons of energy. Also breeding tanks are set up differently than regular tanks. Sounds like you like flowers. Well, I wish the best for you and maybe find some way to get rid of those pesky weeds. I'll keep looking for a remedy for you also. Must have one somewhere. I'll check for you. Wish you well.

    • Nancy Turner Nancy Turner on Jul 02, 2017

      Thank you, I have taken on a lot, but a lot of the gardening things are so that my hubby can enjoy being with me while I care for them, it makes him think he is participating when he can get to them at the house level. It gives me a lot more work keeping track of the plants in all the pots, but at least those are things he can watch grow and help a little, like watering if I don't get to it first. I used to breed rubber lip plecos and pink and black convicts for a local pet store, but got tired of having so many fish and went down to a 90 gallon with two huge Oscars, two angel fish a red severum and a huge pleco and one lone black convict, a seventy five gallon with my guppies, and some other assorted small fish and my 5 gallon with my fancy Siamese fighting fish and a couple of small rubber lips and a few of my endlers guppies. Much less work time for me. We love animals, between me, my hubby and our son, we have 4 dogs, one hybrid cat, a blue and gold macaw and a conure and all the birds, chipmunks and squirrels we feed outside. We have what we enjoy. I can't complain, I am healthy, I am actually never sick. I have not even had a cold since about 1993 so I have nothing that I can't at least try to do at my age(62 1/2) and still can do a lot of the things that I did when I was younger, just more carefully! Have a great fourth!

  • Stephanie Mitchell Stephanie Mitchell on Jul 03, 2017

    Sounds like you like to be busy. That is a good thing. Most of the time when you slow down you stay that way. Good for you. Keep it up for as long as you can. I'm glad that your husband likes to garden with you. I'd have more animals than I do but my cat that I found in my shed does not like to share me. Not even with her son. And he is the same way. Being 65 almost 66 with COPD does not help either. There will come a time that I will have the energy and not be sick , that I will enjoy all of the things that I can not at this time.

    It has been great talking to you, and I hope that all goes well with you and with your husband. Stay strong and stay well.