Ground Elder - how low does it go?!

Hi - is this the right place for a weed question?

Ground elder -- I am completely clearing a bed that has a fair amount of ground elder, literally washing the roots of perennials I want to keep, and then putting them in pots temporarily.

I am not really keen on waiting for the leaves to be big enough to use Roundup, but is trying to dig/tease them out (very carefully) too risky?

Anyway, my main problem is that the ground elder is coming from under a privet hedge, so I don't think it'll be possible to ever completely eradicate. BUT I've had a thought -- how about putting in a physical barrier -- I have dug down about 10 inches and not hit hedge roots yet.

What do you think, could this work? How low do you think I would have to go? And any suggestions of what the barrier could be?

I look forward to hearing your comments!

Thanks

Wrenhere

 

For a physical barrier you could try some of the membrane that is used under bark or gravel chips. It isn't expensive and comes in 1m or 2m widths. I've used similar stuff in the past to keep suckers from a row of raspberries under control.
If you go down a couple of feet with it, it should reduce the spread of elder.

 

I too have ground elder creeping in from under a privet hedge! Have spent a fair bit of time over the years pulling it out by the roots (which are edible by the way), but it still strikes back! Heard of an old lady who was still at it 25 years after declaring war on her ground elder! I have therefore decided to try and live with it, though keeping it in check if it strays too far from the hedge!

A barrier does sound like a good idea - though there was tough plastic sheeting under the gravel paths when we first moved here, which the ground elder couldn't penetrate. However, it seemed to just grow along the sheet, until it came to open air! Perhaps more important is how long, rather than how deep?!

 

I tend to agree with Dave - a couple of feet ought to be a good depth - but like him again, I use the word "ought" as he uses "should" - no promises! The stuff is incredibly invasive, and although a lot of the roots are fairly near the surface, a lot aren't, some go VERY deep! As you can tell, I've spent time on this one too! :rolleyes: The smell is interesting too.....

And yes - "how long?" is a real question! You'll find they send up new plants all over the place, quite a distance frm the original plant, and each bit does the same!! :eek:

 

Roundup - and the agricultural stuff not garden centre stuff.

 

Physical barrier could work, but it can go down, as well as along it.

I get ground elder from my next door neighbour, and lost the battle in one bed after a year I did not do the:, removing as much as I could, decapitating every leaf, where I could not use round up for years. Gave up on that bed two years ago - lifted all the plants, washed them off, and potted them, dug the bed removing as much as I could. Then membraned, and planted back through the membrane. Mulched. Seems to be holding it in check, or at least managable now.

Ground elder and field bindweed are my two pet hates in my garden.

 

For a vertical barrier, try something like pond liner as the roots can get through the light fibrous type membrane The leaves don't though, so Frans' method should slow it down....
I agree Fran, I think I dislike bindweed more than ground elder though

 

Thanks so much for all of your comments.

Good points about it travelling along -- at one end of the border I have a flagstone path, but at the other end a tree and another border, but I think it's worth a try.

Waco -- is what you are suggesting called Roundup, or something else - is it just stronger? Could I use the Roundup I have in a stronger dilution???

Fran -- glad the membrane worked for you, in my case though the border is not that wide in hearts and is I think the ground elder will just go through into the lawn.

I only have a little bit of bindweed, but it sounds like I really must keep on top of it!

thanks again

 

The stuff I buy is from local agricultural supplier (they only sell to farmers/smallholders) its called "roundup" but is very different in strength to stuff from garden centres.

When we first moved into walnut Cottage over 20 years ago, the ground elder was so bad it had grown through bricks! I spent hours with my dad sifting all the soil throug a seive to get rid of GE then we mulched and then we had nightmares as the stuff took over once again.

I have a continual battle as my house bounery is with a field and a stream, so it is always going to come back in. In my circumstance, spraying is the best option, but that is not to say in other situations different methods would not be equaly as good. Ground Elder can be soul destroying if you can't get it right, so you must address the problem.

 

It's dreadful stuff. I did manage to get rid of it in my last (woodland) garden by two or three applications of Roundup (GC type) combined with hand weeding. It didn't make much of a come-back the next year and what did spring up was easily controllable with hand weeding again.

 

When it started to invade my lawn is when I gave up the battle and membraned and mulched - having removed as much as I could. With a lawn the constant mowing weakens it and eventually hopefully will die and the few bits that come up with the plants, are easy enough to deal with.

 

Hi guys, I use S.B.K. I've managed to clear 3 gardens that I work in of both G.E. and bindweed, using it. I either use it as aspray or paint it on. When its in the lawns I use Verdone but it does take several applications. All the best.