Ground elder

Ground elder is a real pain and something we all dread. It forms invasive patches and is so difficult (impossible) to dig up. It's pretty resistant to all but the worst weedkiller too.
My solution? Use a strimmer, hover mower or even shears. It's so easy and 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.

 

Mmmmmm - tried that method plus roundup on ground elder that comes in from next door and had infested my quite densly planted rose garden. Lost the battle though - so had to remove and clean the plants, then membrane and mulch. Now I can decapitate the odd stray leaf that comes up and keep it within bounds.

Its one of the two plants that wind me up - the other being field bindweed.

 

Got them both FROM NEXT DOOR/s Fran and on three boundaries.
Though just managing to keep on top of them with a mixture of Roundup in our garden and the odd bit of sodium chlorate through the fences.

 

Ground Elder drives me mad , it grows through my raspberry canes,it's hard to tell what's raspberry and whats the elder at the moment because the rasps have just started to grow. I pull up what I can but it's difficult to get into, I don't want to lift the rasps because they have been there for years and do quite well,but it doesn't look to pretty, never mind we can't have everything,sigh! :(

 

Sorry for this question but what does ground elder look like?

 

Hi Stingo - this is ground elder. Pretty isn't it!

 

Thanks Hornbeam, luckily i don't have that!!
What is the one called that entwines itself around plants?

 

Hi, that one is bindweed or convolvulus. I find it much more trouble than ground elder:
http://www.dgsgardening.btinternet.co.uk/bindweed.htm
Pretty though, like ground elder.
Dalbuie, i fought a long battle with ground elder in my raspberry patch, eventually resorting to the black weed suppressing stuff all over it with hole for the raspberries. I regretted it. The raspberries didn't like it either, and suffered more from birds eating them. I think the raspberries liked the ground shade that it .provided. Have you thought of just cutting it back every so often [ for instance when it flowers] and letting the raspberries grow through it? If you can't beat them, collude!

 

Just been out for a walk and the ground elder looks lovely in the hedgerows, some of it's pretty tall too.

Thanks for that answer Liz, I don't let it get to the flowering stage, but I'm sure it is that one that I've got.

Also what is the one that is sticky!? it's quite easy to get out though but it too seems to climb through things, but not cling.

 

do you mean this one? its called cleavers or goosegrass or sticky willie...its actually a very usefull plant medicine wise..

 

Yes thats the one, what can it be used for medicine wise then?

 

Stingo - the "ground elder" you are seeing in the hedgerows is almost certainly not. It is much more likely to be cow parsley. There are lots of plants with similar "umbrella-like" flower heads. They are quite confusing and the best way of telling which is which is to get a good wild flower book and then check the leaf shapes.

Could even save your life - Angelica looks a lot like hemlock, but hemlock will kill you. It can be told by the purple blotches on the stalks.

 

Thanks Hornbeam
I think I am learning something then realise I still don't know much :D
I'll get there in the end.

There was a lovely pink flower in the hedgerows, i will take my camera tomorrow so you can identify it please

 

Thanks Liz,I don't let it flower and try and pull as much out as I can, the roots dissapear under the gravel section of the garden. Thank goodness I forced my hubby to put a liner down before laying the gravel or I think it would have taken over by now.
:eek: