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How do I get rid of wood sorrel?

sharanshrubssharanshrubs Posts: 74
in Problem solving
How do I get rid of wood sorrel?
Its taking over my borders!
«1

Posts

  • GardenerSuzeGardenerSuze Posts: 5,692
    edited September 2022
    @sharanshrubs I think the answer is just keep digging it out. When the ground is hard you will probably leave some fibrous root behind. It is best to take time dig down and remove the whole thing. Yes it will also wander through your plants this is more difficult as you can only remove so much without digging up your plants. You can eradicate it but you need to be on it from early March. 
    I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,889
    from my own experience: you never will. 
    Devon.
  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    I'm inclined to agree. At least it's pretty and easy to remove - temporarily😐
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • bédébédé Posts: 3,095
    edited September 2022
    You need to remove all the roots and all the little tubers.  Constant forking out.  Impossible on clay.

    It's actually one of my favourite wild flowers.  Not as long flowering as wild anemone, but its rival in all other ways.  It pops up in my terrace pot-plants; I think the seeds are fired.  I live with it.

    I pick the leaves for my wife's salads.  A touch of chicory-like bitterness.  It's not called sour-el for nothing.  Our local 3-Star restaurant makes a feature of it in season.
     location: Surrey Hills, England, ex-woodland acidic sand.
    "Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
  • sharanshrubssharanshrubs Posts: 74
    Thank you all. 
    @GardenerSuze so your recommendation is to dig out in damp soil, early March? Why not now? I'm a beginner....

  • GardenerSuzeGardenerSuze Posts: 5,692
    edited September 2022
    @sharanshrubs You must really dig it out as soon as you see it. Next spring it will be important to be on it asap. All weeding that is carried out as early as possible in the new season stops a second generation from developing.  If your soil is damp you can ease it out with all of the root. Some gardener's avoid the weeding in early spring perhaps it is too cold but if you can get out that early you will save a lot of work in the long run. I weed my garden all year round. Hope this helps.
    I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
  • sharanshrubssharanshrubs Posts: 74
    Thanks for the explanation @GardenerSuze !
  • GardenerSuzeGardenerSuze Posts: 5,692
    @sharanshrubs A wise gardener told me many years ago that if a garden hasn't been weeded for three years it will take another three years to get it up to scratch. I have had people say to me in the past 'Well I have been weeding this spring but it is all out of hand'. It is very easy to see when a garden hasn't been weeded for a year.
    I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    It’s worse than that … an old gardening saying goes … 

    ‘One year’s seeds make seven years’ weeds.’ 😱😭

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • bédébédé Posts: 3,095
    edited September 2022
    Leaves are easy to tidy away.  Nip off flowers if you don't want the "7 years' weeds", or better nip off the seedheads before they burst.

    But it is the most benign of invasive wildlings.  I wouldn't call it a weed.
    (If you read some of my other posts, you will see that I am no softie.)
     location: Surrey Hills, England, ex-woodland acidic sand.
    "Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
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