planting roses

Is it true that Pachysandra will keep ground elder down? Its just not vigorous enough, though I can't think of much that is! No fun digging the ground elder roots out of the pachysandra either.Otherwise rather a brilliant plant, I use it for edgings around shady paths etc, and under bamboos.

 

The thing that attracted me about the pachysandra in relation to ground elder is that it is evergreen. I find that the more I keep the ground covered with other plants, the less chance the ground elder has to get through. If it has to fight for light in early spring it won't get so rampant.
My alpine strawberries are also doing a good job. I've given up trying to get rid of the ground elder, I just try to deprive it of light and thus keep it at bay.

 

Crouchend. If you walk on wet clay soil, you tend to squash it down and make the drainage even worse than it is normally. What I have seen on TV and do myself (because it makes good sense) is to stand on planks, when it is wet, to spread the load - the same way as snowshoes do.

 

Good tip Peters - will remember that. Thanks.
Hoping rain eases off by the weekend no we're almost in June!

 

pachysandra will not keep out groundelder, nothing will other than weeding/spraying AND most importaint constant vigil, for just as you turn your back there it will be again!

As to pachysandra I have a varigated form, but it does not do as well as the ordinary green one, but that could be my lime soil.

I am a great believer in this shrup and have seen it used by John Brooks to replace a lawn very successfully.

This is a clump of mine growing under a budlea, quite happy in its almost full shade.

 

I know nothing will keep it out, that's why I've given up trying, but as I said keeping the ground covered gives it less chance to get a hold.
Using the black weed suppressing fabric works, so why shouldn't a mat of other plants [particularly evergreens]? I dislike chemical sprays and in my case would have to cover the whole garden!
It seems no-one else uses this approach, I've had a lot of hassle over this post. I won't have battles in my garden against plants I disapprove of, I'm a pacifist! :D

[ 26. May 2006, 10:18 AM: Message edited by: Liz ]

 

Ground elder is really best treated when it is not growing with anything else. You can try digging it up or simply strim off all leaves as they emerge. No plant can live if it is unable to photosynthesise. That is what happens when you cover it with black sheeting. However, that will not work if you try to suppress it with dense ground cover plants - not even geraniums!

All that happens then is that you get both growing together and can't strim, cover or spray.

Result = aaaarrrrggghhhh!!!!

 

When I arrived here everything was smothered in ground elder and bindweed. The only reason the lawn appeared free was that the grass had been regularly mown.
I don't use weedkiller, I can dig only very little, but I can hand weed.
If I dig an area I do of course remove roots. I find that if I can get some groundcover established and then pull out groundelder as it appears then the ground cover does indeed act as a suppressant.
To date I am using ivy, wild strawberries and lysimachia nummularia, and will try pachysandra. I find that my job is becoming easier as I go along. To quote your post of 14th May:
....if you cut off all the leaves, it can't photosynthesise and so it can't make food and will die. When a fresh crop of leaves push up - just strim them off again. By the third haircut, the ground elder is just about exhausted and will trouble you no more.

All I am doing is replacing strimmer with hands. Agreed this is probably not feasible in a very large garden, but mine is not [160'x16']

Crouchend, sorry to hi-jack your thread, I hope your roses are OK.

 

A moron question to you lot- but what actually is ground elder? Do you just mean weed - or is it something else more particular. (Must make a start on my gardening reading....!)

 

It's a particular very invasive weed:
http://www.ukwildflowers.com/Web_pages/aegopodium_podagraria_ground_elder.htm
Hope you don't have it!

 

Thanks for the pic thats def. helpful.
So far I haven't seen this come up in the garden, but its the first summer in new house so am not too sure what may spring up. I shall look out for this and zap it if it comes.

 

:D :D :D

 

Chicken Manure is brilliant, but boy it don't half pong.

I thought I had trodden in something unmentionable, until I realised what it was causing the smell.

Time for a gas mask me thinks---only kidding

 

I love the smell, but then I used to look after chickens. Also seems to put other peoples cats off pooing where its scattered.

 

I used to keep chickens too BM - Makes excellent fertiliser.