Controlling ground elder thats taken over your garden
Dealing with ground elder in your garden can become a difficult task once it has taken hold. While chemical weedkillers are an option, some gardeners prefer to avoid them. In such cases, smothering the ground elder with a high-quality ground sheeting can be an effective method, albeit one that requires time and persistence.
To start, you should dig up most of the perennial plants you wish to save and pot them up, attempting to remove as much of the ground elder around the roots as possible. Next, apply a woven ground sheeting onto the beds and cover it with bark, cutting it around the existing shrubs. A helpful guide on installing ground sheeting can be found at https://gardenadvice.co.uk/blog/installing-ground-sheeting-to-help-prevent-weed-in-your-garden/.
It is essential that the ground sheeting is woven and does not allow any light to pass through. Additionally, using local wood chips that have been composted can save you money, as bark can be quite expensive for larger areas. This approach will cause the ground elder to grow around the edges of the sheeting, which means you will need to keep weeding or cutting it back to reduce its energy. After about a year, you can replant through the ground sheeting with new plants or the ones you have saved.
While weeding the ground elder, it is pointless to attempt to remove the roots. Instead, it is important to focus on cutting it back and removing the above-ground growth. Keep in mind that the plants you have saved in pots will also require regular weeding to prevent the ground elder from taking hold again. With time and persistence, you can successfully control ground elder in your garden without using chemical weedkillers.
Link to the Ground sheeting GardenAdvice recommends
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