Garden tip: remove weeds from tree bases

Keep the base of a young tree clear of weeds and grass to ensure it survives

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Planting a tree
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It's one thing to plant a tree and another to keep it alive during the first three years, when it's easily defeated by competing grass and weeds. Keep a good circle of soil around the base of the young tree entirely clear of weeds, either by hoeing (but avoid damage to bark and roots), a suitable herbicide or a mulch (best of all). A simple weekly inspection means any troubles are spotted and dealt with promptly. Ideally, this regime should be perpetual, but it's essential in the formative years, and the investment will yield handsome dividends.

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Country Life
Country Life

Country Life is unlike any other magazine: the only glossy weekly on the newsstand and the only magazine that has been guest-edited by HRH The King not once, but twice. It is a celebration of modern rural life and all its diverse joys and pleasures — that was first published in Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee year. Our eclectic mixture of witty and informative content — from the most up-to-date property news and commentary and a coveted glimpse inside some of the UK's best houses and gardens, to gardening, the arts and interior design, written by experts in their field — still cannot be found in print or online, anywhere else.

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