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Get rid of ground elder

laurenjbirney2JuaOS08laurenjbirney2JuaOS08 Posts: 5
in Problem solving
We inherited a beautiful garden with our new house last January. We have a large shady bank that has some plants but is mostly covered in ground elder. I have begun hand weeding it out, taking care to get all the roots out. I’d love some advice if this the right thing to do and how to keep it away! 

Thanks in advance for any help :) 

Posts

  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,889
    welcome to the forum.
    If you have an infinite amount of time, patience and energy you can try ( but unlikely to succeed ) in hand weeding. Or you can carefully treat with roundup
    Devon.
  • laurenjbirney2JuaOS08laurenjbirney2JuaOS08 Posts: 5
    I’ve attached some photos - the darker one is now and the bright photo is during last summer. 
  • laurenjbirney2JuaOS08laurenjbirney2JuaOS08 Posts: 5
    Thanks Hostafan! I have made it about half way, but I fear as soon as April/may come the weeds will grow too fast for me to keep up. 

    With trying my best to remove all roots, am I still doomed? I had been trying to avoid using chemical weed killers but it might be needed! 
  • LiriodendronLiriodendron Posts: 8,328
    I've never found Roundup to be particularly effective on ground elder anyway (when I used it in the past).  

    I don't think you're doomed!  If you have light soil you CAN remove all the roots - we did so in our first garden in Cambridgeshire, where the ground elder had extended 30ft into our garden from a neighbouring one.  But if it's entangled with other plant roots, or your soil is full of clay, you're unlikely to get out every bit of root.  However, if you remove all you can, and then just hoik out every little bit you see as you're passing (even if all you're doing is pulling off the leaves), you'll weaken what remains and eventually you'll win.  Might take a few years, but I've done it in the past...   :)
    Since 2019 I've lived in east Clare, in the west of Ireland.
  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,385
    edited March 2021
    Yes, a multi-pronged approach is needed with this one.  If there's a large area with no wanted plants in, then waiting until it starts to flower and spraying with a glyphosate weedkiller will kill the majority (if plants are left in place until they go completely brown.)  Otherwise, digging out and spot-treatment will eventually reduce the problem.  If they are coming in from ground outside your property boundary, best learn how to cook it! :D
    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,889
    edited March 2021
    When I used to work as a gardener,I wish I had £1 for every time I've heard folk say " those weeds come from next door".
     I used to say " I bet they say the same thing" 
    Devon.
  • laurenjbirney2JuaOS08laurenjbirney2JuaOS08 Posts: 5
    Great to hear I’m not doomed 😂 I will continue with the hand weeding and hopefully mange to keep it up as the season continues. We hope to plant a lot more in the bank this year to help as well - any suggestions for a good ground cover plant for shade? 
  • laurenjbirney2JuaOS08laurenjbirney2JuaOS08 Posts: 5
    Next door and our house used to all be one plot so doubt I can blame them! Ha 
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