Hi Leaveswave, I know this is an old post so I don't know if anyone is looking anymore. I was considering the very same Idea. Please see my post on the gardening with stone forum from 9/6 titled "do you think this will work", which will more fully discribe my problem. First let me say that within a day of posting I got the very same reply as you reguarding it being dangerous. However the person that answered me was very nice, kind and helpful and they gave me a link to all the old edging posts which is how I found you. Mitch, please remember that we are here to help each other. I felt kinda bad too when what I thought what might actually be a solution was shot down, but and least my person was kind and constructive, I can only imagine how Leaves felt when they read your post. Back on subject; I don't think that people that design edging or suggest conventional edging have ever delt with quack grass. It just loves anything that simply lays on the ground and laughs at anything that is less than 6" deep or has cracks in it. Landscape fabric makes the problem worse as it loves to lie under it and then come through causing you to have to remove everything and start over. I have used the trenching method too, but with that you have to be diligent which I am not always and once it gets into the roots of the perenials, again, you have to rip out everything. I'm looking for something deeper and reasonably inexpensive. I realize that it will be a little difficult to install (my idea was to use a straight edge shovel and mallet) but I don't want to have to move all the rocks and plants again soon. I also thought about the sharp edge. I only plan to leave it showing less than and inch and then cover with mulch. I also considered cutting and old soaker hose lengthwise to cover the edge (part of my question was asking if anyone had any good ideas how to keep it on). But after reading all of the edging posts I also found the idea about bending the top edge down, or even curling it on the top. I realize this may not be easy. I know roofers have those big machines that they use to make a sharp bend. Maybe a person could find someone with a maching shop to do it. Thought, most highschools probably have them. I'm not sure how a person would make a curled edge, but I may talk to a roofer I know about it. Any ideas anyone has on the subject would be appreciated and leaves if you could e-mail any replys (or a heads up to check the post) to me I would appreciate it since they won't be sent to me like they would if it were my post. Thanks, Catrina

Lacey, all I can report is that my area of the PNW is one of the largest commercial producers of blueberries in the country. And while we have naturally acidic soils, they are only slightly to moderately acidic.......seldom as low as 5.5. I grew up working a summer job at a local blueberry farm, in which the bushes were only pruned annually, never fertilized and never amended and they produced massive crops. But it was located on the edge of a bog, so summer moisture was never an issue. No one I know amends their soil here to make it more acidic but nearly everyone has at least a few blueberry shrubs in the garden - they are quite ornamental as well as supplying tasty fruit. I would expect your sandy soil may have played a role in your blueberry experience. Hard to retain soil moisture with a sandy soil and the berries like a richly organic soil as well, which sand tends not to provide. fwiw, the largest wholesale grower of blueberries (supplies nurseries across the country) is located in Oregon and they don't even recommend a specific pH. All they caution is to plant in acidic soil (no specifics about how acidic) in an organically rich and moisture retentive medium. If they are not concerned about specific pH, neither am I. Nor does my experience bear it out to be as critical as everyone seems to think.

Ditto to the question about spraying along the fence line. As a side note... we have TTTF ...and the grass along the fence line on the western facing side has a hard time vs the same grass on the other side of the fence. Periodically my wife will do the lawn and the weed wacking (on both sides) ...and she would tend to cut under the fence line with the weed wacker.... therefore cutting it way to low. The grass on the western side would bake in the sun all day while the eastern side would be shaded post mid day. Being cut short stressed it... then the sun cooks it.

No, not straight line. That's why I'm cautioning you that this must be worked out in PLAN view ... so you can know what you're looking at. What I'm showing is a scheme ... generalities. A designer would fine tune its specifics ... what the trees are, and their form, size, etc. The two bright green trees are yours already in place. I'm just showing them grown some. The 6 trees right of the others are new ones I added. 3 smaller are in a line along the fence. The larger ones are in a triangular arrangement with two in the back row, thus the swelled bed. But ... do in plan view for accuracy and correctness. You'd plant smaller trees at the midline of a 6' or 8' depth bed, i.e., 3' or 4' from fence. Larger trees in a larger bed would be farther from the fence but worked out by the designer depending on the exact trees. In general, I think multi-trunk (clumping) trees have more presence, especially if they are part of a screen. But it's your choice. You can use single trunk trees if you prefer. I think they tend to look a little skimpier, but are probably fine in later years.