fast growing plants

Muzz1

Hi all, I have problem with teenagers playing football on the grass directly opposite my house. Police won't do anything because street football is legal. When you ask the lads to stop hitting your car with the ball you get told to naff off. Any suggestions on a fast growing spiky plant or weed, that would grow from me scattering some seeds would be appreciated and will probably help stop me from getting an assault conviction. Cheers!

conradmum

Anything that will keep a football from hitting your car would need to be a shrub. These do grow from seed but pretty slowly. You're much better off buying small plants. What you really need is the kind of thing they plant in car parks, such as berberis or cotoneaster.

If you go to this website you could get something like Berberis Julianae, ten small plants for a tenner (+ P&P)

Dense, upright, fast growing evergreen with long glossy heavily spined leaves, dark green above, pale green beneath. Masses of clusters of yellow, or sometimes red tinged flowers wreath the shoots in spring followed by edible, bloomy, blue-black egg-shaped fruits in autumn. Quickly forms an impenetrable hedge. Shade tolerant.

Muzz1

Thanks for the advice. But what I was kind of hoping for is something that would grow quickly and would physically put them off playing. A border of shrubs won't stop them hoofing the ball up into the air and landing in my garden, car roof/bonnet. Cheers

conradmum

Okay, I understand. You'd like something to grow on the grass patch that they won't want to play football on. That's a difficult one. First off, grass will outcompete any seed you throw on it. The grass is established there. You'd need to clear patches to sow seed on or grow little pots of your weed and dig little holes to plant them in.

The fact is, nothing is going to withstand kids playing football on it better than grass does, which is why that's what's growing there.

I'd be looking at alternative methods. How big is the patch?

Davesnave

The prickliest and fastest plant from seed is probably Silybum marianum, or St Mary's Thistle, but even that won't compete with people running over it.

Who does the grass belong to? If it isn't yours, you can't plant there without permission, though if it is council land and your neighbours are like-minded, you might be able to 'adopt' it by way of a genuine planting scheme under neighbourhood improvement. This has been done.

There again, if it's the only green space available for ball games, that suggestion won't go down too well, nor are they likely to stop. In that position I'd go for something fast like willow, to fend off most flying objects, or maybe a very grumpy dog.

annie123

Have you got a fence/gate at your property boundary? if yes, refuse to give them the ball back....they will run out of them or get the message quickly.

If not put one up, could be cheaper than a damaged car.

Teenagers do need somewhere to use up energy and playing football is a lot better than having a group of them hanging around drinking etc etc.

Muzz1

Thanks for all your advice guys. Its quite a large grassed area but they seem to play near my house because thats where its flattest. The annoying thing is there is a an even larger area with no houses near it about 5-10 min walk away. Its been going on for a few years and its getting worse,so much so our house is one of the few not up for sale!
I understand what your all saying the seed thing really isn't an option I'll just need to keep making a nuisance of myself to the community cop and the housing association. Thanks again!