Ground elder

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JoannaH
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Hi
I haven’t posted on here for several years bu I’ve got a new garden which is completely covered in ground elder.
I’ve been a dedicated organic gardener for 50 years and it goes against the grain to have it sprayed. Digging it out is not an option as it’s too big an area, I’m definitely a no dig gardener now, so I’m wondering how to deal with it. I have to say I’ve never come across it before in any of my gardens. One thought is to cover it with permeable membrane but how long for and will it work? Another thought is to rake it and then sow grass seed and keep mowing it. It’s very rough at the moment and would need a power rake to flatten it which would then spread the rhizomes around even more probably. Has anyone got any experience of this please and any advice on how to deal with it?
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oldherbaceous
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Good afternoon, JoannaH, It seems you do have a battle on your hands! I don't like using weedkillers but, in such a situation as this, I would spray it with weed killer...you may even need it spraying twice, if the soil is heavily infested!
Black plastic sheeting will kill it but, it will have to be on for two growing season to do so....not sure if permeable fabric would work quite as well, as I think it would let a certain amount of light through.
The lawn suggestion would work too but, if you were having any borders of flowers or veg, the Ground Elder will just keep growing in to them.
I started looking after my Mum's garden for her a few years back, and her borders were full of Ground Elder, but buy shielding the herbaceous perennials and shrubs, I managed to spray the Ground Elder, with very good effect...it hasn't got rid of it completely but, it's quite manageble now...hope this helps a little.
Kind Regards, Old Herbaceous.

There's no fool like an old fool.
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Cider Boys
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Hello JoannaH, the above advice from oldherbaceous is excellent (as always). I admire anyone who gardens in what is now termed 'organically' and the no-dig method has many recommendations. I must admit however, that I could not manage my gardening without the help of glyphosate and in my view time becomes even more precious as we mature and spraying would be the most effective and time saving method to control and hopefully eliminate the quite persistent ground elder allowing you then to garden the area in an organic no-dig way.

Barney
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