Ground elder

[Sharkfinsoup]

Just moved into a new house - first time garden owner. Very inexperienced gardener - manage to kill a significant number of house plants sadly and was hoping to have better luck outside. Unfortunately I have realised that the ground cover over most of the borders (and potentially heading into the very weedy/mossy lawn) is ground elder. Does anyone have any tips on how to get rid of it? It sounds awful from the little I have read so looking for some positive stories if possible.

I'm following! A couple of our flowerbeds have it. I've tried digging over the whole lot, pulling out every bit of root I can find and covering with weed control fabric for a year, weed control poison and pulling out every leaf in can see to stunt the roots and it's still a battle - always back. Nightmare stuff!

When I dug out all I could, I planted Crainsbill geraniums to swamp it. Still got it but it’s under control. In a large area, I think you have to live with it and dig out what you can.

I dug mine out, sieved the soil, dug out any plants I wanted to keep and washed the roots before replanting.
A very labour intensive job and took me several weeks of a couple of hours a day to do but it did get rid of 99% of it.
Large lumps of soil infected with a lot of root I threw away completely so did need to add some top soil afterwards.
Now 8 years on I might see the odd one pop up but I dig it out before it can do any damage.

it is actually quite easy to remove, there is just soooo much of it.
I have it in one bed, and basically dig the whole bed over and dig it all out about once every 3 /4 years.

I just don’t get how to clear it when it is wrapped around well established bushes and a small olive tree. I can dig up the plants and remove roots etc but uprooting trees and very large rhododendron bushes seems impossible.

I had it wrapped around a large clump of day lilies and another of agapanthus. I didn’t try to lift the plants and just dug around it removing what I could then kept an eye out for any new shoots which I plucked out. With removing before it had a chance to grow and store energy it eventually gave up.

Keep doing what you’re doing removing as much of the root as possible, if you have large areas place thick cardboard over it, water it a bit then mulch heavily with new compost,

impossible to get rid of completely but can be quite satisfying to pull up.
I struggled with ground elder when I was working as a gardener in an ancient farmhouse garden and was totally frustrated by it but was cheered whilst having a chat with an 88 yr old neighbour who told me he’d been employed as a young boy to pull it up from the same garden so I realised I was on a losing battle so just pulled the tops off to keep the borders looking tidy.

I do similar to above posters, with a combination of thick cardboard and mulch, geraniums to compete, and I segregate areas with groups of containers to break things up.

I have been battling it in a bed for a few weeks. It is very satisfying to pull up but takes ages as goes in all directions. I'm planning on putting weed control fabric down.

Pull up what you can, but get a good sharp hoe and just keep hoeing all the weeds that pop up. They really do diminish over time.

@mewkins

I have been battling it in a bed for a few weeks. It is very satisfying to pull up but takes ages as goes in all directions. I'm planning on putting weed control fabric down.

Cardboard is better it rots in and can be replaced whereas it tends to punch through week fabric and other weeds attach themselves to it.

Thank you for all your advice - I definitely have lots of cardboard from unpacking at the moment so will put that good use. I have ordered a hoe and a sieve so will have another good go at the weekend.

I've had a tiny bit of success with round up gel around established shrubs, I'm going to purchase some geraniums now. I'm on a loosing battle with it, so just trying to keep it in check. My neighbour is covered in it, and doesn't seem to care.

I've got ground elder here for the first time in 28 years.

I realised why the other day. My neighbour's front lawn is covered in it, and I suspect there may be plenty in their back garden, too (I can only see a small part of their back garden).

I'm just pulling out what I can as and when I see it, but I've just discovered a sizeable clump at the top of the garden, concealed between a forsythia and a fence. That's going to be a bugger to get out.

I dig it out of some the borders every year. In other areas I just let it grow. It’s actually quite pretty when flowers, a bit like cow parsley.

I don’t think it’s a battle you can win.

My plan is to put chickens on mine and hope they eat it! But radical and there are no other plants to protect.

I think the foxes would have a field day if I did this.

You won't get rid of it all, but I am keeping on top of it and have far less.

Definitely heavy mulch. Thick cardboard is ideal. You basically want something that will suppress for a year plus but that will rot down and you can plant through.

When bits poke through, either mow repeatedly or pull up what you can or apply very concentrated weedkiller to the leaves and leave.

Out compete it. Some plants spread more vigorously and keep on top of it. Which can be a mixed blessing!

And accept it. You won't get rid completely. It's a pretty plant, flowers are lovely in a vase. A weed is only a plant in the wrong place. As long as I can grow things I choose around the elder, I'm happy.

Unfortunately I have realised that the ground cover over most of the borders (and potentially heading into the very weedy/mossy lawn) is ground elder. It won't survive regular mowing.