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Myrtle Taking Over!
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Posted by Katrinawitch Zone 6b NJ (My Page) on Wed, Jan 19, 05 at 11:29
| I inherited a beautiful yard/garden when we moved into our house a few years ago. There is a long, narrow bed between our driveway and our neighbors, and the previous owners had huge, overgrown, ugly juniper-type evergreens planted there, which we took down that summer. They had myrtle planted all around the edges, which seemed to be in check, but when the bushes were gone the myrtle just went wild. I'm a beginner gardener, but I've learned enough to see that it spreads by rooting underground, and boy, does it move fast.
Anyone have experience in keeping myrtle in check, or do I have to keep weeding/ripping it up where I don't want it? I don't mind it much, because the leaves are attractive and the flowers pretty, but I don't want it taking over the whole bed! |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Myrtle Taking Over!
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I hope you get answers. I pull the stuff that is invading my perennials. I keep it from getting into the pea gravel front walk by pulling it. Fortunately, I have a line of granite block, and it usually sneaks in between the blocks.
It was harder to control with no particular border to the walk. To the right, between the house and the walk, it is a complete even carpet. To the left it is taking over the rest of the planet. It is losing the competition where it runs up against my areas of Epimedium sulfureum. Species specific herbicides are a needed invention. Or perhaps, somewhere on the planet, there is a weevil that only likes this plant. After all that, I hope you are talking about the plant called "periwinkle" by my neighbors. |
RE: Myrtle Taking Over!
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| I guess it could also be called "periwinkle". It's a vine-like ground cover that has pretty, periwinkle-blue flowers (five square-ish petals) in the springtime. I don't mind pulling it when I have to, but I can see it really taking over if I don't keep it in check. |
RE: Myrtle Taking Over!
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| I am sure it is called periwinkle because of the color of the flowers. Let me know how you do with controlling it. Its scientific name may be Vinca minor. However it is a major pest. |
RE: Myrtle Taking Over!
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| Thank you both for helping me believe I'm not a total idiot! I started "thinning" the overgrown periwinkle in my front yard and ended up with a hatchet job, which I tried to remedy by planting some more (somewhere--in the enormous root maze). (I "inherited" this yard ...) Does anyone know a way out of this? Thanks to all! Lee |
RE: Myrtle Taking Over!
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| :) you folks are lucky- it was a struggle to keep it alive on my property as a kid! but weed whacking and using a hedge trimmer on it seem to be the accepted ways to keep it trim- and yanking it out the accepted way of controlling run-away runners. it's also nice to pot up rooted sections you pull up, and give them to friends, or see if a local kindergarten would like them. |
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