How can I kill this stuff without killing everything else in the bed?

Just trying to sound glib. I'm doing battle with dozens of baby rasberry canes IN THE LAWN. We all choose our battles....

C.

My advice to you....MOVE..LOL

April

The idea behind this is that the plant will continually drink the round up, it will travel the entire root system eventually and the entire plant then dies.

I have read of success with this method in eradicating bindweed which is another perennial weed that roots extensively.

You may find that this method kills some, but not all and that would be an indication of seperate root systems. Just repeat where necessary.

Kat

(and so does the paintbrush, but not as much fun.)

Thanks all! Round Up it is. I'm almost going to enjoy this...

My beds are fairly new, so last fall I layed down 6-8 layers of overlapping newspaper and 4" of shredded hardwood mulch over everything but the trees, shrubs, and newly planted perrenials... This spring the Aegopodium podagraria acts like I did it a favor! It has completely infused itself in the beds. So much for smoothering.

At this point, I'm scared it's going to run across the lawn and I will simply have a full lot of it!

Current strategy is cut it to the ground every time it gets more than 4" tall AND plant as many other plants as I can...hoping to squeeze it out. Having completely graded the lot, amended the beds, planted sod, 15 trees, ~60shrubs and ~300 perennials...I am not taking it all back out to excavate! And the whole Round-up thing is not part of my vocabulary...I want to use the least amount of chemicals as possible (birds, bugs, animals, water table, you name it).

So, in a sense I am giving up. Sigh. But I will continue to hack at it until the rest of the plants have matured enough that my yard is not dominated by it!

Oh yea, my F'n neighbors moved. They didn't want to "wait for MY yard to mature". What kind of crap is that! Ironic part is the new neighbors are 100% cluesless about landscaping and could care less what I do with the 6" strip that is theirs...crazy world!

M.J.

Honestly, a lot of people freak out about these supposedly impossible to control plants and then they have a lawn. Well, guess what? There is no plant that is worse for rhizomous spreading than turf grass. And then we go and fertilize and irrigate it! Go figure.

More than half of my weeding is removing turf grass from where I don't want it.

In the spring, I almost wept. It was my first year in this house and I had no idea what slept under the snow. We picked it all. It grew back. The ferns and solomon's seal started. The goutweed overwhelmed them. We picked it. It grew back.

Then gradually the plants, mainly the ostrich fern, solomon's seal and hostas, overshadowed it and it is now not a problem -- until next spring -- or maybe sooner. The mulch makes it easier to spot when it does raise its little head. MMMMM salad.

Joanne

My yard has a lot of fungal diseases this year- wet spring, not thorough enough fall leaf clean-up last year. I plan to do better this year. Good luck with yours!

We also had the dreaded bindweed in the back. I sprayed both with Round Up. It took several sprayings, but I did get rid of the goutweed eventually. The bindweed, however, is absolutely rampant all these years later and none of my neighbours are doing a bloody thing to control it...

Do you know what boils my blood? Goutweed is commonly sold in the big box stores and even some garden centers, as "Bishop's Weed" or some other variation. Appalling!

Braveland, could you post a link to the other forum talking about using the cornmeal? I've had a wet summer, too, and there's all kinds of mildew and fungus in my garden, too.

I fought this stuff for years until we moved. I would guess it's still there and taking over. Last time I drove by the old house it was pretty obvious the current owners aren't gardeners so I suspect it's been free to do it's own thing for the last five years. Can you imagine that?

There's probably mint in the lawn also!

POISON IVY KILLER
1 gallon water
1 cup salt
8 drops liquid dishsoap
Mix together and spray on the offending nasties.

Good luck
Kiwi

I too had a tiny patch of this alien under a 50+ year old silver maple, which had to be taken down. I foolishly let the small two foot by 4 inch high patch survive. I have been doing penance for six years in an attempt to keep it from taking over in a FULL SUN, unwatered area in our very xeric climate. Today I am going out there to paint roundup on those leaves for the fourth time this month, but this time I am taking our full spectrum light and holding over each section for about 15 minutes at close range. I remember that roundup requires sunshine to encourage the victim plants to take up the active ingredient. It "worked" on a small patch when I roundup-nuked the whole patch last month. It is important to cut off the flower stalks, too, before they go to seed before, during and after you nuke it.

Remember to wear sunglasses, gloves, long sleeved shirt and pants, socks and solid shoes for yourself, you don't want to get sunburned. Also remember to have your spouse or neighbor take pictures of you as you do this in 90 degree weather. These will form the instructions to future generations at your home in how to combat the aliens at ground level (Note, not WIN, but only combat) and provide your progeny with proof that you are insane.

I will add the intonation of "I smite thee with the Hand of Death" as I perform this ceremony in full ceremonial dress and think of each of you as I do so.

Tell Ma, I died game.

Recently on a walk DH commented on how pretty a patch of it was in a neighbor's yard. I pointed out to him how it was the only plant in the huge bed, and told him if he ever planted any in our garden we are through.

We wouldn't really be through, but would require marriage counceling to get over it, along with all the above advice on how to get rid of he noxious weed.