Quote:
Originally Posted by louisxiv[_3_]
Hi
A couple of newbie questions re Ground Elder which is taking over my
shrub beds.
Am I right in assuming that this is self-seeding from the substantial
elder trees in my garden? Like it's not a seperate plant or anything?
To kill it off is it enough to break it off at ground level or is the
root system the type that will keep send up new leaves the way
dandelions do? If this is the case I take it spraying it with
weedkiller (carefully to avoid nuking my shrubs) would be a reasonable
solution?
TIA for any advice.
MA
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Ground elder is a plant in the same family as carrots, parsnips and parsley. Elder (the tree) is in a totally different family. Think of it as like dog and dogfish.
Elder trees do seed, but if you have a dense carpet, it's more likely to be ground elder. If the dense carpet is flowering, then it's certainly ground elder, as eldeer seedling won't flower until they have reached bush size.
Ground elder grows from a mass of creeping roots a few inches below the surface. It is possible to get rid of ground elder by digging out all the roots, then for the next couple of years digging up all the bits that you have missed.
Alternatively, you can use weedkiller, but it may take more than one application and, since the ground elder is growing among shrubs, you will have to apply it carefully in a way that doesn't get any weedkiller on the shrubs.