Ground Elder

Many thanks all. We do own a little tiller, a Mantis which is a great machine just powerful enough for what we want to do esp in the raised beds.

We also have a pump sprayer but we will most likely buy a new one and put the old one on glyphospate duties.

 

Been there bought the tee shirt @shiney

 

Same here - lovely dead footprint across the lawn

 

At least grass re-grows eventually I traipsed sulphate of iron across a cream terrace, down the (cream) steps to the pool and across the (yep, cream) slabs round the pool The interesting rust colour seems to be indelible

 

My patio is light grey limestone . I get occasional rust stains from furniture . Also if I spill fertiliser ( tom feed etc ) this can stain brown . The only way I have found to remove / reduce this stain is wire brushing . Either a hand wire brush or a wire cup brush in a cordless drill. Moving them arouns to blend the cleaned area into the rest of the paver.
I see you are lucky enough to have a pool. The best cleaner for most slabs is Sodium Hypochlorite. You may use this in your swimming pool . I apply it at a 50% solution leave for an hour , then rinse clean . It is a strong chemical so I wear goggles and gloves . Keep pets away until rinsed . It is always best to try it on a small area first in case of peculiar chemical reactions ! I use it on block pavers , concrete slabs and limestone patio without problems.

 

Thanks, @HarryS! Guess who'll be on her hands and knees scrubbing for England tomorrow?

 

Hope it works . It will depend on your paver material . Just test it on one out of the way spot first.

 

Will do, thanks!. It's scary what the condensation from the pool cover has done to the surface of the slabs near the corners.....that'd be chlorine I suppose. It eats concrete

 

Have been reading this thread with general interest, until the penny dropped. GE is the horrendous green weed that grows ferociously along a strip of garden between us and the neighbours. It is underneath the long privet hedge that divides us, but the hedge is in our garden. Can anyone suggest what we could do? We want to keep the hedge. The strip is approximately thirty feet long and the GE is in both gardens. The neighbours aren't remotely interested in gardening and would not have any desire to do anything about their side, or about us doing anything to their side. Looks like we are doomed to live with it.......

 

Thanks @shiney. Might risk Roundup in a small area to start with then. Didn't know it was edible, but I can just see my family's expressions if I try serving them ground elder soup !

 

Falls into the edible but not very nice category

Good for gout, monks used to cultivate it, also known as Bishop's weed.