Garlic chives!

[ningaj]

We have a rockery in our back garden and it is being overtaken by garlic chives - they spread like wild fire. It doesn’t matter how many times I dig them up, they always come back!

Is there anything I can do to help eradicate them, or lessen their spread. I have tried planting other rockery plants, and heathers, but they all get overtaken by the chives. They are the bane of my life!

Would be grateful for any advice or ideas.

Are you sure they are garlic chives? I have them in my veg bed and they don’t spread. A picture would be good so maybe someone can identify the plant. Perhaps it’s wild garlic? (Looks like tulip leaves?)

Sounds more likely to be wild onions - and yes, they're a nightmare. You just have to wait till it rains to soften the soil then pull them up (and make sure you get the whole bulb)

They definitely have a garlicky smell. I have attached a picture…

It might be wild garlic. Fill your freezer if yes😱

I thought the leaves of wild garlic were thicker? I would attempt to eat it - too many cats around here 😂

Imho it's that. My chives never spread, wild garlic does and young have small leaves.

You might need to dig it all up to get the bulbs to stop the spread sadly.

That’s not wild garlic and I would say the bulb is too big for chives. Having googled I think Smugglers has it - wild onions!

It could be three cornered leek? Does it have white flowers? Wild garlic has wider leaves. You can eat all members of the allium family and they all smell like onions/garlic.

It doesn’t have any flowers, I thought I’d dug it all up last year but it has returned with vengeance 🤣

Three cornered leek, has other names, does smell like garlic/onion, v hard to eradicate. A tiny piece of bulb left will grow more. Don’t let it flower

Agree it's Three cornered leek (Allium triquetrum). Spreads very easily, don't let it flower and produce seed. Keep digging, making sure you get every little bulb. Alternatively you may consider a herbicide.

I thought this was interesting OP

https://www.wildfooduk.com/wild-plants/three-cornered-leek/

Late to the party as always, but yes, a three cornered leek. Just keep digging it out.