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Eradicating vinca minor

CostumedVoleCostumedVole Posts: 257
in Problem solving
I have a 3m by 5m bed which has been filled with nothing but vinca for the last 25 years. We inherited it. I have finally dug it all out by hand and the bed is now empty. However, I’m not deluding myself that it has gone - there’s so many roots left that I know it will come back. Trouble is, I have arthritis in all joints (a legacy of chemotherapy) and doing this has made it flare up so that I realise I will never be able to do this level of work again. 

I have researched the options and there aren’t many. The cardboard and mulch method isn’t very appealing as it’s the front garden and it’s also got some odd corners which will be pretty hard to block off. Weed killer would be great if it worked but many people say it doesn’t on vinca. 

Is it possible to keep on top of it by just pulling out every emerging shoot until it gives up, or will it come back too fast for that? 

I am happy to keep the bed empty to make it easier to get on top of it, but would it be a better idea to plant a few robust things that will get big enough to hold their own when the inevitable return comes? 

Thanks for any help anyone can give. I should be really thrilled at having done such a major job, but the thought of it all coming back and my efforts having been for nothing is very depressing!
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  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    I'd be inclined to plant a few annuals or leave it bare this year so that you can see any emerging shoots and deal with them. If you plant something more robust, the vinca will tangle through it and it will be difficult to get at the roots . Deal with whatever pops up in the spring and then do your proper planting.
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • CostumedVoleCostumedVole Posts: 257
    Thank you so much for your quick response. I’m fine with leaving it empty. Do you think it will be possible to keep ahead of it by pulling it up? I have no idea how fast it grows. The 25 year old mat was horrific but it presumably took a while to get to that state. 
  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    It worked for me. The new shoots, if they come, won't have deep roots   when they're young so they will be easy to get out.
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • CostumedVoleCostumedVole Posts: 257
    Thank you for your comforting response and the view from the other side! I read so much on the internet which made me think it wasn't possible to ever get rid of it that I was quite despondent, instead of rejoicing over my victory thus far!
  • philippasmith2philippasmith2 Posts: 3,742
    I have exactly the same problem but with Vinca major.  Like your garden, this one had been neglected for 20 years or so.
    I have dug out but I also have many established trees to work round and it is proving an endless ( and boring ) job. Also somewhat restricted as the Slow worms have colonised one of the worst areas.  They like it as it is - awkward little beggars ;)
    Not particularly helpful I'm afraid but at least you are not on your own with this :)
  • CostumedVoleCostumedVole Posts: 257
    Thanks for your reply. I suspect there are millions of us out there... I believe major is harder to eradicate than minor, so my sympathies are with you there. Slow worms are quite rare, aren't they? You have been fortunate. All there is in mine are ancient bottles of WKD from when the nearby bus shelter was the teenage hangout du choix.
  • philippasmith2philippasmith2 Posts: 3,742
    Yes you are right, major is indeed a major PITA once it gets a hold.  To be fair tho, anything which roots immediately on touching the soil can be difficult to eradicate after a while.
    I don't know how rare Slow worms are these days - I was lucky enough to have them in previous gardens but like so much of our wildlife, I suspect they are being pushed to the limit in places.
    I can see your point about the Bus Shelter rubbish - here it mostly consisted of old metal, children's shoes, bagged dog dirt, bits of a boat, old radiators, etc. That was the garden - the house held quite a bit of weird rubbish too :D
    Renovating neglected gardens takes a lot of time and patience - I've experienced quite a few and like to think I've been successful.  There is tho a point at which you need outside help - luckily, I've avoided it so far but ................?
    Good luck with your Vinca problem anyway :)
     
  • CostumedVoleCostumedVole Posts: 257
    I have to admit that it's my own neglect that I am working with here, although we didn't plant the vinca. Not out of virtue or knowledge, I hasten to add. I'm sure we'd have thought it the ideal solution to what to grow under a 100 year old copper beech with a preservation order on it also. And, in fairness, it did the job for 25 years until I decided to get creative with the front garden in retirement. I'm struggling against the disappointment of doing it and finding it might be just the same in another couple of years, but with the added pain of the memory of all the apparently wasted work.

    I am impressed with the fact that you have renovated gardens more than once! The list of stuff you've had to deal with makes it even more impressive! All I can say is that the local tip is a vastly underrated resource until you need it. I think I've earned a loyalty card at mine over the last 3 months.
  • JellyfireJellyfire Posts: 1,139
    edited June 2021
    I think I’ve successfully got rid of it in a border it had taken over here (can’t say for definite just yet!) by digging out the bulk of it then putting a 6” or so mulch of wood chip on it. Any bits that have rerooted and come through are really easy to pull out of the woodchip and the whole root run comes with it. I did it in early spring and it’s probably a month or so since I’ve seen any come up. I suppose next year will be the acid test though 

    (this was vinca major though, which is much more thuggish than minor in my experience)
  • CostumedVoleCostumedVole Posts: 257
    That's tremendously encouraging! I am a little daunted by the cost of more than 15 square metres of mulch, but it probably has to be done. It's good to hear from people who are winning the war, because the internet is generally pretty depressing on the matter.
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