Ground ivy is notoriously invasive in many areas. Also known as creeping charlie, this ground cover, a member of the mint family, can quickly take over your flower garden and infiltrate the lawn. This is a guide about getting rid of ground ivy.
There are two solutions that I've found: either dig it up by hand or poison everything in the area infested, and then plant new grass. I forget what the weed killer I used was, but it kills everything, and then loses toxicity after 2 or 3 weeks. I'd be interested in hearing other ideas because my lawn is being over run again.
By Jack from Boston, MA
I know there are different kinds of ground ivy, but here is how I cope with it. It seems to come up every year in the same places and nothing I do can get rid of it completely. I have found that when I see the start of it, if I take a pair of clippers and cut it at the base, it takes a while to start back up. Then I repeat the process. This keeps it under control and the advantage is that you don't have to pull it away from your other plants or from a fence. The upper part dies after the stem is cut and it dries so you can just crumple it away. I have never been able to kill the roots.
By Lilac from Springfield, MA
If there is a plant you really want to get rid of, I always recommend Round-Up. It is not organic but gets the job done and it kills all the roots. Spray it directly on the plant(s) you are wanting to get rid of, it will kill what it lands on so don't use on a windy day. Don't spray right before a rainstorm, though it still works I always feel like I'm wasting money then.
If you have weeds in a flower bed that you can't get rid of, screen the good plant using cardboard so Round-Up doesn't get on the keepers. When I'm creating a new flower bed I edge it with Round-Up to check out size and location, once I'm happy with shape I then Round-Up the whole area inside that shape. Then cover in newspapers, using several layers, or feed bags, then cover in mulch. Prior to planting you may want to spray your mulch too, as some tends to sprout weeds, depending where you get it from; the mulch that is. If I've sprayed the mulch I let a good rain shower come down before planting that bed with flowers, just to be on the safe side. Happy gardening!
By looneylulu from Ocean City, MD
How can I kill ground ivy?
Hardiness Zone: 6a
By Tom from Milwaukee, WI
By garden addict
07/24/2010
Try dabbing Round-Up concentrate on a few of the leaves with an artist brush in the spring and fall. I did this in my lawn last year and it didn't come back this year. You can over seed the area in the early spring if there is a bare spot.
I have ground ivy that is growing along the fence line of my backyard that looks like it is spreading to my lawn, slowly.
How do I get rid of ground ivy without killing everything else? I really don't want a bare spot in my yard as my yard is beautiful, except I don't want this ground ivy to take over.
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