By Jack from Boston, MA
By Lilac from Springfield, MA
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
Has anyone had success getting rid of ground ivy (aka creeping charlie) in their lawn? Thanks.
Hardiness Zone: 6a
By Grampy from Needham, MA
How can I kill ground ivy?
Hardiness Zone: 6a
By Tom from Milwaukee, WI
By garden addict07/24/2010Try 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.
What weed killer works to remove creeping charlie from my lawn?
By Alan
By foxrun4103/31/2012I have had good results in controlling moss in my lawn using vinegar. Don't know if it would work on creeping charlie. I got the following from typing in creeping charlie in to google.com
If you catch it early, you may be able to control creeping charlie by pulling it out. If it becomes thick, you can use a special tool called a thatching rake. This helps to comb through the grass, pulling much of the viny weed out. It doesn't eliminate it, but may keep it in check. (Some grass will be pulled up in the process.)
Using this tool is more physically demanding than fall leaf raking, however. It provides a strenuous workout, and may be more laborious than what you wish to undertake. This operation thatches the lawn and cuts into the soil. Afterwards, you can work in some shade-tolerant grass seed to replace the creeping charlie. The best time to do this is between mid-August and mid-September. Choose a time when the weather is beginning to feel cooler.
You may control creeping charlie chemically by applying a herbicide containing 2,4-D and MCPP as its active ingredients. The herbicide will damage or possibly kill any woody or broad-leafed vegetation that comes in contact with the spray, so it must be used with caution.
The best time to spray is in autumn, once temperatures have cooled to the 60's or 70's, with no rain forecast for 48 hours. This spray program may be repeated every ten to fourteen days as long as the weather is cooperative. Do not spray during hot or windy weather, to avoid herbicide drift onto desirable plants. Always follow the label directions carefully.
A combination of 2,4-D, MCPP and dicamba may be used under some circumstances. The three together work more effectively than 2,4-D and MCPP but one reason for that extra effectiveness is dicamba's ability to be absorbed through the roots as well as through leaves. Since creeping charlie frequently grows in the shade of trees and shrubs, this combination of ingredients must be used with caution, spraying only enough to wet the leaves, not soaking the ground. This combination will prove more effective and pose less danger to desirable plants when it is used in early fall rather than spring.
If you have areas with more creeping charlie than lawn, you may wish to start over. Strip it off with a sod lifter (a hand tool), a sod cutter (a power tool) or apply glyphosate (a non-selective herbicide, sold as Roundup) to kill the entire area. Then you can seed or sod.
Where creeping charlie persists after years of repeated attempts to control it, you may want to consider killing it and replacing it with shade-tolerant ground cover plants or decorative mulch.
If you are interested in trying to eliminate creeping charlie with a borax application, see Yard & Garden Brief H519B, Using Borax to Control Creeping Charlie.
My neighbour has a large cluster of creeping charlie growing in his lawn which has now invaded my lawn. How do I eliminate them?
By Lionel
Help! Creeping Charlie has taken over my shade garden. It's even found it's way to the lawn. How can I get rid of this menace without having to kill everything in the garden and starting over?
By Sweezykay
By rlmwhite04/16/2013To get rid of Creeping Charlie, use Borax laundry additive. There is a formula of how much to add to water that is easy to find on the internet. It is real easy to take some out to the yard with you and carefully sprinkle on just the Charlie and then water (or just before a good rain). Not too much or will burn the good stuff. I do this especially where no grass grows and it is just Creeping Charlie and other weeds. In these areas, I am a little more generous. Works like magic, but keep up with it. If in garden, it also works but don't overdo. I found it will not kill other weeds.
I have ground ivy that is growing along the fence line of my backyard that looks like it is spreading to my lawn, slowly. I also have three big trees that shade the fence line where the ivy is growing and it looks like it can spread quickly if I don't do something about it.
I have tried pulling them up and cutting them out. It helps a little but it looks like it's only a temporary fix. I would like to get rid of these ivy! They do look pretty but can grow out of control.
Serenity
By Barbaral
By Sandy.
By tedsmom
By Ann
By donna
By CHEFROBERT
I have noticed that it throws down some pretty vigorous roots, so I realize this is only a short-term fix. I would imagine that at some point in time some serious digging is going to be done on some of the root systems. This ground cover needs to be eliminated from all home landscaping catalogs. (11/11/2008)
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.
Hardiness Zone: 6a
By Poohcorner from Clarksburg, WV
By Anonymous
Good luck.
3Ks Grandpa (06/24/2009)
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Getting Rid of Creeping Charlie