Ground elder!

Participant · 20 Apr 2013 at 19:45

Lots of it :eek:

The whole of the left hand flower bed is full of it. We've started digging it up, but does anyone have any ideas as to the best way to remove this nasty weed?

I've never encountered it before and it's brutal. The rots are very wiry deep and tough. When we moved in we could see the dormant leaves but I had no idea it would be this aggressive in the growing season.

GW1970 · 20 Apr 2013 at 19:50

Check this out

http://apps.rhs.org.uk/advicesearch/profile.aspx?pid=215

~Mike~ · 20 Apr 2013 at 20:00

Roundup (glyphosate)

Nightglow · 20 Apr 2013 at 20:05

Mike306 said:
Roundup (glyphosate)

+1

You are wasting your time digging it up, leave just one tiny bit of root behind & it will grow again.

A.N.Other · 21 Apr 2013 at 22:39

As many applications of roundup as it takes. Still you'll probably have a few sprout each year, but rinse and repeat until they're all gone. Absolute pain in the ***.

Participant · 21 Apr 2013 at 22:46

Cheers guys. I've mentioned this to the wife and she's...worried about it killing other stuff in the bed! Nuke the lot I say. Anyway, we're using that stuff you mentioned on it next weekend.

Nightglow · 21 Apr 2013 at 22:48

Robbie G said:
Cheers guys. I've mentioned this to the wife and she's...worried about it killing other stuff in the bed! Nuke the lot I say. Anyway, we're using that stuff you mentioned on it next weekend.

You ideally need to use a pressure sprayer & use lance close to ground you shouldn't have problem, ideally you need a calm day to spray.

If you want to protect a plant, I just use piece of thin ply or similar, to shield it, but if do spray a wrong plant, just rinse well with water, or cut of affected part.

Will take a week before you start to see results.

Usel · 22 Apr 2013 at 07:51

You could paint the leaves of the elder with a brush near plants you want to keep if worried about over spray. Use neat roundup when doing this though.

Bat · 22 Apr 2013 at 17:57

Our large garden was totally choked with it when we moved in 4 years ago.

2 Years ago I started attacking it with whatever spray weedkiller happened to be on offer every few months. It's now nearly all gone. You just have to keep at it.