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Weeds

dpatel2130dpatel2130 Posts: 201
in Plants
What are these weeds. Spread under the shrubs in border of front garden. Long roots. How to get rid of them. Pulling out now but what is long term solution. Suggestions please. 
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Posts

  • IlikeplantsIlikeplants Posts: 894
    Is the second one some sort of violet? Looks familiar.
  • Joy*Joy* Posts: 571
    edited July 2019
    First looks like ground elder. I recognise the second but can't think of its name. Does the 2nd have felty leaves - thickish and peachy feel.  It is a weed. Violets tend to have smooth leaves with a shiny feel. How big are the leaves as size sometimes matters! Do both have long roots? Glyphosate weedkiller is probably your best bet if you have weeds with extensive roots. Use it with caution but it's the most likely to work. It might at least knock them back a bit and make them less of a problem. 
  • josusa47josusa47 Posts: 3,530
    I think the second one is petasites.  Which makes an interesting anagram: E, it's a pest.
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    I’ve cleared a lot of ground elder from here, just dig down a bit and trace the roots along, they are not too deep rooted, don’t break them off though or it will grow again, I find it quite therapeutic just to sit down and spend a quiet hour, depending , I suppose on how much time you’ve got.
    Year ago I did spray a patch but by the next year it was up again, so as well as not liking poisons, pulling out works just as well, better in fact. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • Joy*Joy* Posts: 571
    edited July 2019
    I would agree with Lyn but you will have to make sure that every scrap of root is gone, including any amongst the roots of plants you want to keep. If you can clear everything from the bed, digging it out would be more effective. It's very persistent. You have to beat it at it's own game. My husband likes to make life easier and chuntered at me all the time when I insisted digging up weeds instead of using weedkiller. When I gave in the weedkiller left many persistent weeds but killed my Cox's Orange Pippin apple tree. 
    I've just remembered the name of the second weed - it's Jack by the hedge (Alliaria petiolata)
  • BorderlineBorderline Posts: 4,700
    edited July 2019
    I'm thinking the second photograph looks like Sweet Violets, Viola Odorata. Some regard this as a weed because of the way it can spread. But I like them.
  • dpatel2130dpatel2130 Posts: 201
    So it is established that they both are weeds and spread and difficult to get rid of. No question of shrubs out as they are well established. Once I remove weeds by hand I will cover the ground with black plastic and keep eye on it. See what happens. Expensive and damaging chemicals will be very last or not at all. Thank you @Borderline, @Joy*, @Lyn, @josusa47, @Ilikeplants. 

  • dpatel2130dpatel2130 Posts: 201
    Do you think I am pulling enough roots of these ground elder? 
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    Just keep using your trowel along the soil until you get to the end, they usually have long white roots. Can be up to a foot  long. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • Joy*Joy* Posts: 571
    You have made a good start but it will be an ongoing task. They more you remove the better. It will continue to travel if you let it  (sadly personal experience here) but if you remove as much as you can, regularly, at least you will keep it in check and feel that you are the boss. B)
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