It’s official I detest common vetch, help needed.

Hope to get some advice how best to tackle an infestation of Vetch. The wretched plant not only has springy roots which travel for miles, even if you get up the distinctive white roots there are multiple seeds lying well underground to take the place of anything you have heaved out.
I never had a real problem with it but think I got the “ original” from a neighbour who gave me some Flag Iris, a favourite of mine. Anyway not liking flag in amoungst herbaceous I created an Iris bed. All was very nice for a couple of years and any vetch I saw appearing I quickly dug up as best I could.
I was abroad for some time this summer and came back to a forest of Vetch in amongst the Iris. It is impossible to get out so nothing for it but to lift a LOT of Iris as you can see, replant them elsewhere and then what? You’ll see the bed is quite large!

I then have a bed riddled with Vetch. Don’t see weedkiller being the answer. What about black plastic or cardboard over the bed for a season? Will look hellish but maybe someone else can come up with a good idea.
A lot of work and bit late to be transplanting the Iris but needs must.

 

Well @hailbopp the irises look gorgeous!
Vetch is difficult because it's a bit like oxalis - seeds and devious roots! I remember reading that years ago gardeners would use weedkiller like glyphosate when the irises were dormant, as the rhizomes wouldn't absorb it. It was often done to avoid digging around the established plants.
Otherwise I think you're right - black plastic - and probably then strip it, disturb the soil to get the seeds germinated, then plastic again

 

Thank you @CarolineL ,yes I love Iris and there is a member of GC who sent me some cracking ones a few years ago @noisette47 . Unfortunately the wretched Vetch make it impossible to weed round the Iris so a demolition job has started. Not exactly sure where all the uprooted Iris are going to go and being Scottish they are not going on the compost heap!
Perhaps the best thing to do is to turn the area into grass and presumably by mowing the vetch will eventually give up the ghost? I have many other flowerbeds so as I am not getting any younger it might be the solution rather than fighting with the Vetch and probably lose!

 

I wouldn't know a common vetch if I fell over one.

Just how common are they?

 

Oh ha flaming ha @pete. Having spent a LONG time pulling the ghastly thing out,I have called it a lot of names today, all totally unprintable on here so common is being polite

 

I'd pot-weed. Sink some jam jars, stuff with as much vetch as you can cram in and top up with a glypho solution. Let it commit suicide It won't solve the problem of seeds germinating, but it's a no-hassle way of dealing with pernicious weeds in amongst prized plants.

 

Following on from @noisette47... vetch is often long enough to put in a plastic bag and then spray it - leaving the roots in the ground of course. Or you could paint various parts of it.

 

Thanks for the ideas but unfortunately when I say the bed is inundated I really do mean that and the bed is about 40ft long! I would need an awful lot of jam jars. That said I have some in another bed near a Rhododendron and your jam jar or painting idea would work there so thanks for the useful suggestions.

 

Look on the bright side.
Its a legume, so is rewarding you with fixated nitrogen , which is a bonus....
Its seeds are edible in small quantities but toxic in excess.