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ashli_gw

How do you get rid of ground cover?

ashli
15 years ago

Several years ago DH was given Periwinkle ground cover...I admit that the little blue blooms are pretty...and planted in the right-place...like under our pine trees ?...maybe would look ok...but he planted them among other trees on the left side of the house and too close to his little rock garden...Anyway, they've sprouted everywhere!...Must be Kudzu's relative... invading my Rose bushes, ects. I don't mind them under the trees, but they can't be contained.

I'm afraid the only answer I'm going to receive is that I have to pull them up by their roots...I have done alot of that... I've used weed and grass killer on them...poured vinegar over them...sprayed the plants with Round-Up...and they seem to thrive on it!..ha...Of course I can mow some of them down...Any solutions to getting rid of them, instead of crawling around on my knees and pulling them out of the ground...Too bad the JB's don't like them...(Aren't the JB's early this year? They've been in our yard for at least two weeks now)

Comments (4)

  • satellitehead
    15 years ago

    There is no substitute for manual removal of weeds, period. Your best bet is to get down on the ground and dig out the root system, or if you have some eager kids nearby who want to earn some money, give them a flat-headed shovel and have them take the top 1-2" of dirt off from around the area, then landscape mat after. You'll need to be really diligent to remove any sprigs that come up afterwards (everywhere), pulling 1-2 times per week at ths slightest sign of growth. If a plant can't get leaves up during its growing season, it will eventually die - this is true with everything I've dealt with, including very mature japanese wisteria and kudzu, both of which will go for months without throwing up a shoot, then all of a sudden blast off.

    Vinca Minor (periwinkle) is one of those invasive nasty bastards that makes me scream :) I am still working at killing some of it off behind my house. It seems like I just can't pull enough of it to make it go away. IOW, I feel your pain and wish you luck.

    Persistence pays, but nothing beats a good, up-front onslaught to get the job started.

  • jmzms
    15 years ago

    Would covering it with several layers of newspaper (super thick) and then covering that with mulch kill it?

  • vroomp
    15 years ago

    Put in a swing for children. This is guaranteed to kill everything within 30 feet with no labor at all.

  • ashli
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    JMZMS, I have thought about that...and I will try it around our well...thought about laying down carpet and put mulch over it...
    Children and a swing?...Though we do have a swing on the other side of the yard...Think I'd rather deal with invasive plants than kids...ha...
    Satellitehead, I'm afraid you're right...pull up and, or, dig them up.
    Several years ago, DH planted a Wisteria vine...To me, it's one of the most beautiful vines of all...but, my advice to anyone who's thinking about planting it...think again, and read about how invasive they can be...! That and the periwinkle are sprouting like...weeds. Only faster it seems.
    Thanks for answering...still searching for a miracle-cure...ha...