website

Knowledge from Olle Garden Bed: Getting Rid Of The Ground Ivy

Although it has many beneficial uses, the creeping Charlie or ground ivy is most often regarded as a ground covered weed. Maybe you recently found yourself wanting to know how to kill or control it. Or maybe your question is just how to control the creeping Charlie without using chemicals? The following content also has some reference value for raised garden beds.

If the creeping Charlie flower has occupied your yard or garden, you need to know what to do next. Since many different species may be mistaken for the crawling Charlie, you must make sure you know what you are dealing with before continuing.

I have asked similar questions before when facing this pest. If you are dealing with the creeping Charlie infection, the following tips will help you eradicate this annoying purple weed from the yard.

raised garden bed

What is crawling Charlie?

Glechomahederacea is a broad leaf weed, also known as ground ivy, ground gills or cat feet, and other common names. It is a member of the mint family, with stoloniferous stems and kidney shaped leaves, and may occasionally be regarded as a garden perennial, especially in its variegated form. After all, ground ivy is a fairly hardy plant that grows well in areas where ordinary lawn grass usually doesn't work. As the name implies, it has a trailing habit of growth.

The creeping Charlie has been used as a ground cover. It was also used for medicine in the past, which may be one of the main reasons why it was exported to other countries together with European settlers. Now, you can see the creepy Charlie in many parts of the world.

However, most people now think that Charlie, the creeping purple flower, is a disgusting person who is determined to devour their lawn. The creeping Charlie may be difficult to destroy because it is spread through the creeping stems and seeds. Once you pull it up, any remaining fragments will become new plants. Therefore, it is labeled as an invasive weed in most parts of the United States.

raised garden bed

Identify Charlie Crawling

Let's talk about this broad leaf weed. The creeping Charlie has hairy, fan-shaped or kidney shaped leaves with fan-shaped edges. Clusters of small, orchid like blue or purple creeping Charlemagne flowers grow on their square stems. However, the height of plants may vary greatly depending on their growth conditions. In an ideal situation, ground ivy can reach 1.6 feet high, but its height can easily be less than 2 inches. In fact, it is usually regarded as a ground cover, which is one of the original purposes for which it was brought to the United States.

The crawling Charlie has a decisive preference for a humid, wooded environment, but he does not shy away from the sun. On a sick lawn, it is often seen as another problem that gardeners need to solve before losing control. This kind of plant likes nutrient rich and moist soil in boron deficient areas. The creeping Charlie also has a distinct fragrance.

Because one of its common names is "creeping", the difference between creeping and creeping Jenny is very obvious, because Platycodon grandiflorum usually has round leaves and yellow flowers, and no leaves with fan-shaped edges.

raised garden bed

The crawling Charlie may also be mistaken for an ordinary mallow (Malva neglects). However, the common mallow will not be spread by runners, and it does not have the strong pungent smell like the crawling Charlie. There are other wild plants and edible plants that look like ground ivy. One of them is Dick Ondra, a native of Texas with smooth leaves. It can also be used as a lawn substitute and has weed properties. The crawling Charlie may also be mistaken for henbit (lamium), an annual plant that grows in winter. Fresh or dried hen leaves can be used for food or medicine.

How to get rid of the crawling Charlie

Immediate action is the best way to prevent Charlie from getting out of control. This video briefly introduces how to get rid of the crawling Charlie. However, if you are secretly looking for content on the Internet instead of actually working, and want to keep it quiet, please continue to read the additional tips on getting rid of ivy at any time.

Containing herbicide

Some commercial broadleaf herbicides can be used to treat ground ivy. Products containing Dicamba are generally said to work well if used properly. However, the effectiveness of other products on such ground covered weeds often varies. Therefore, before continuing, please make sure that the product you plan to use can be successfully used to kill Charlie crawling.

You need to read the instructions very carefully before starting to apply any product you choose. Although most of these products are suitable for lawn use, they will certainly kill any tender vegetables or garden plants they encounter. When spraying, you must be careful to avoid touching yourself or other garden plants with herbicide.

raised garden bed

Another thing to note is that you cannot use the same product for several years in a row, or it may stop working. Gardeners with very bad crawling Charlie problems may even decide to spray the entire lawn with broad-spectrum herbicides and start from scratch. However, only when the problematic lawn is covered by more than half of the poisonous weeds will professionals recommend such drastic measures.

Time for correct use of herbicides

Most herbicides should be used when the weather is about 70 º F (21 º C). You should apply the product of your choice immediately after mowing. In the days after that, you may want to avoid further yard work and allow these things to sink into the water. It is customary to wait about two weeks before using herbicides. The last treatment in about a month may even be necessary.

It is best to apply herbicides to mat like floor coverings in autumn. During this time, the ground ivy roots store the nutrients they need to survive in winter, so they can absorb chemicals more effectively than they would otherwise. This helps weaken and kill the creeping Charlie plants in winter, and prevents plants from growing more as they spread. Although ground ivy can be treated in early spring and summer when it is in full bloom, additional treatment must be applied to make the process successful. Even so, herbicide application may only stop it, rather than kill it completely.

raised garden bed

Chemical free

Hand weeding and crawling Charlie can be an effective way to get rid of crawling Charlie without chemical substances. However, this process will only work if the factory does not establish a stronghold in your yard. After that, you must continue to pull it out for a while to ensure that you have got rid of everything and that it has disappeared forever. It is also a good idea to wear gloves when doing this, because some people are seriously allergic to ivy. Remember that weeding is easiest after a rainstorm or after watering the garden.

You can also make old Charlie's life less pleasant by reducing the amount of shadows in the yard and regularly pruning the grass to the recommended height. The lush lawn will provide you with some protection from this weed. Just make sure you choose the right lawn grass for your area, otherwise you may find it difficult to grow it. You also need to avoid over watering your grass, as this will encourage Charlie to crawl to see you. (For most varieties, about an inch is enough.

Another way to prevent it from taking over is to improve the soil quality and overall drainage of the yard. Keeping the garden neat and well manicured is important for many reasons, mainly because it encourages airflow and subsequently helps reduce problems such as crawling Charlie. Of course, covering your flower bed can also help prevent it from entering. It may even be a good idea to use shade plants as fillers in wooded or humid areas rather than trying to open lawns there. On the contrary, ideal plants that thrive in a damp, cool environment will leave little room for problematic weeds.

Use boron

Before attempting to use borax as a herbicide, you should know that this method is generally discouraged by university agricultural departments. However, this treatment does appear on various websites as an effective way to get rid of crawling Charlie.

The process begins by dissolving 10 ounces of borax in 4 ounces of warm water. Then, you should add 2.5 gallons of water and mix them together. Finally, the mixture shall be sprayed on the affected area. You need to apply the mixture during dry weather for best results. It is very important to calculate the amount in this formula correctly, otherwise, this process may damage your yard. If you are not careful, you can easily get toxic soil and even more problems.

You should also remember that when boron is encountered in large quantities, it is harmful to other plants and animals. This is definitely not good for other plants. Too much will cause them to grow slowly or turn yellow. The use of borax may make it difficult to regenerate the lawn where the treatment is applied. Over time, it may even be harmful to the environment. However, more research is needed before the theory can be accepted as a fact.

raised garden bed

Through fertilization

The use of large amounts of nitrogen on the lawn can help eradicate this weed. Chelated iron is another effective treatment because it will burn the squirming Charlie. The disadvantage is that it must be applied to the whole lawn, unless you want to paint dark green patches randomly on the lawn. The use of chelated iron is also an expensive treatment.

Other uses of crawling Charlie

The ancient Saxons used to use creeping stems and leaves, as well as the fan shaped edge of the creeping Charlie, as part of their beer brewing process. It is usually used to clarify drinks and give them some flavor. The factory is also used as a substitute for rennet in cheese making. All kinds of wild bees still feed on it, making it very useful in this regard.

In traditional medicine

This plant can be used to make vitamin rich tea, which may help various diseases. Charlie Creeper has been used to treat minor problems such as eye inflammation, common cold, headache and tinnitus. Another historical function of this plant is to clean the internal parts of the body. It is used in this way to treat kidney problems, urinary tract infections and indigestion. Lung and respiratory diseases, such as bronchitis, have also been treated with Charlie Creeping in the past. However, you should never use any plant for medicinal purposes without first consulting a certified doctor or herbalist.

As edible green

This easy to grow plant is traditionally cooked and eaten in salads, no doubt because it has a pleasant spicy taste. It is said to be rich in antioxidants and vitamin C.

Although the crawling Charlie has been eaten for centuries, there are still some scientific concerns about its edibility. After all, this plant does contain the same harmful chemicals as pence, which can damage the liver and induce abortion. However, these compounds exist in much smaller amounts in the squirming Charlie. No matter what questionable impact it has on humans, this plant is obviously toxic to cattle and horses. If the pets at home eat enough, they may even make them sick.

raised garden bed

common problem

Q: What's the best way to kill Charlie crawling?

Answer: Generally, broadleaf herbicides are most effective after emergence. Borax can be used, but it will not be used in large quantities because it will not dissipate in the soil and will cause problems with lawn grass over time.

Q: Is crawling Charlie good for everything?

A: It has many traditional medicinal uses, and it is also used as an edible plant (for humans - in livestock, it has potential toxicity).

Q: Is crawling Charlie a problem?

A: On the lawn, it is usually considered a trouble. However, this is a major risk for livestock in grazing pastures.

Q: What killed the crawling Charlie, not the grass?

A: Most broad-leaved herbicides are developed to reduce the risk of weeds while removing broad-leaved weeds, which are very effective. Borax can also be used in limited doses, but excessive borax application may cause yellowing of lawn grass.