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  • #1

    Ground Elder Invasion!

    Help! Can anyone advise me how to best deal with ground elder? I have positively a blanket of the stuff over a large border. Thankfully, it is nowhere near my raised beds for veggies but it's a real pain in the herbacious border. I think its partly my fault as I dug over the entire bed shortly after I moved in (winter) and probably spread it around in the process (Homer moment, doh!) but it looks as if its been lurking for some years unchecked. The soil is a heavy clay and pulling roots out individually is impossible. I've tried a small area with SBK (sorry, desperate) and it just seems to make the leaves grow an odd shape but they still grow, and so the roots still spread. Does anyone know of something that will kill roots as well? I know its not brilliant to spray but I am seriously at my wits end with this plague.
    Any advice would be much appreciated.Thanks.
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  • #2
    I've tried glycosate on it but digging it out seems to work best - sorry!

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    • #3
      I've got the same problem myself, its creeping out from under a native hedge into what will be a woodland/shade garden at my new house, so it would be almost impossible to erradicate completely and will be an ongoing battle.

      I think I'll have to spray with glyphosate (tried a quick squirt a couple of weeks ago and leaf edges have browned, but I think I will need more persistent). The other alternative is to dig up the rhizomes and roots which spread just under the soil surface, but you have to get every tiny fragment out or it will just regrow. I have heard that black plastic laid over the top will eventually kill it off, but I have my suspicions that the rhizomes will just resprout.

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      • #4
        Originally posted by Pumpkin Becki View Post
        I've got the same problem myself, its creeping out from under a native hedge into what will be a woodland/shade garden at my new house, so it would be almost impossible to erradicate completely and will be an ongoing battle.

        I think I'll have to spray with glyphosate (tried a quick squirt a couple of weeks ago and leaf edges have browned, but I think I will need more persistent). The other alternative is to dig up the rhizomes and roots which spread just under the soil surface, but you have to get every tiny fragment out or it will just regrow. I have heard that black plastic laid over the top will eventually kill it off, but I have my suspicions that the rhizomes will just resprout.
        Couldn't you make a barrier to stop it growing through? Damp proof course is meant to be good as it don't rot and its cheap

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        • #5
          Originally posted by IgglePiggle View Post
          Couldn't you make a barrier to stop it growing through? Damp proof course is meant to be good as it don't rot and its cheap
          Possibly...I could try to disguise it with actual plants...that's a good idea, I hadn't thought of a physical barrier, thank you Igglepiggle

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          • #6
            I've got it in a front flower border. I used the area to grow flowers for cutting last year. I grew a lot of these from seed - inlcuding Ammi majus - a lovely white flowered umbelifer. As the ground elder was in the same area I couldn't have it out without ripping out the flowers (the area had been an overgrown shrub border before.) When the ground elder flowered it was just about as good as the ammi majus as a cut flower. I'm going to give up the fight and pick myself some bunches this year!
            Whoever plants a garden believes in the future.

            www.vegheaven.blogspot.com Updated March 9th - Spring

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            • #7
              Originally posted by Flummery View Post
              I've got it in a front flower border. I used the area to grow flowers for cutting last year. I grew a lot of these from seed - inlcuding Ammi majus - a lovely white flowered umbelifer. As the ground elder was in the same area I couldn't have it out without ripping out the flowers (the area had been an overgrown shrub border before.) When the ground elder flowered it was just about as good as the ammi majus as a cut flower. I'm going to give up the fight and pick myself some bunches this year!
              Ah bless! If you can't beat 'em, pick 'em instead hey Flum!

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              • #8
                That's one of my many mottos, yes!
                Whoever plants a garden believes in the future.

                www.vegheaven.blogspot.com Updated March 9th - Spring

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                • #9
                  I have it as well-managed to get rid of some of the stuff-OH gave me the top soil when from the base of the shed-unfortunately it was with ground elder so I have bits growing in between the strawberry.Will dig it out anyway but what a nasty stuff.

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                  • #10
                    Ive got some in a damp bed I grew gladioli in last year. The gladioli thrived so it must be reasonably fertile soil. I will dig it all out soon but I'm a bit worried about feeding it to the chooks as I think it may be poisonous to them!
                    My Majesty made for him a garden anew in order
                    to present to him vegetables and all beautiful flowers.- Offerings of Thutmose III to Amon-Ra (1500 BCE)

                    Diversify & prosper


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                    • #11
                      Spray or paint it with Glyphosphate then when it reappears treat it again. When it comes up for the third time treat it again. You're rid of it now .

                      From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs.

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                      • #12
                        Richard Mabey recommends eating it in his food for free book,can't say as I fancy it myself.

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                        • #13
                          Originally posted by Snadger View Post
                          Ive got some in a damp bed I grew gladioli in last year. The gladioli thrived so it must be reasonably fertile soil. I will dig it all out soon but I'm a bit worried about feeding it to the chooks as I think it may be poisonous to them!
                          It's fine, mine used to eat it all the time, the chicken run was always free from ground elder, about the only bit of that part of the garden that is
                          In fact I am getting some more chickens in a few weeks and I am going to run them where the ground elder is and try to get rid of it.
                          "Orinoco was a fat lazy Womble"

                          Please ignore everything I say, I make it up as I go along, not only do I generally not believe what I write, I never remember it either.

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