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False Goats Beard removal

Lancashire LassLancashire Lass Posts: 367
in Problem solving
I have a pond with a bog garden beside it and then whole bed is being taken over by an Astilbe that is low growing with late flowering light purple blooms. I think it's commonly known as False Goats Beard and on trying to dig it out I've discovered deep rooted rhyzomes that are so densely packed that it is impossible to dig them out.
Any idea how to get rid please?

Posts

  • Arthur1Arthur1 Posts: 542
    I can't see an alternative to digging it out. Doubt you want to use herbicide that close to water.
  • Lancashire LassLancashire Lass Posts: 367
    I wouldn't want to use any chemicals wherever. Could i put a weed barrier over it in Spring to prevent it growing maybe?
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    We use a pickaxe.  Gets right in under the plant. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • Arthur1Arthur1 Posts: 542
    You could use mypex or similar. 
  • Lancashire LassLancashire Lass Posts: 367
    How long do you think I'd have to use the membrane to suffocate the rhyzomes?
  • Lancashire LassLancashire Lass Posts: 367
    Lyn said:
    We use a pickaxe.  Gets right in under the plant. 
    It's a fairly narrow bed, about 40cm wide, with the pond right next to it. I think a pickaxe may be too imprecise to use in those circumstances. I'd probably end up falling in the pond!!
  • bédébédé Posts: 3,095
    edited October 2022
    I can think of nothing better than constant removal of shoots when it regrows.  A good tug should pull up some rhisome as well.   How long this takes will depend on your persistence
     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."
  • Lancashire LassLancashire Lass Posts: 367
    bédé said:
    I can think of nothing better than constant removal of shoots when it regrows.  A good tug should pull up some rhisome as well.   How long this takes will depend on your persistence
    Thank you. I suspect that you are right and definitely something I intend to do!
    I do wish suppliers would warn of this sort of thing, I know some do but I'm an experienced gardener of 40 years and with all the will in the world (and the lack of proper information), we all make mistakes like this throughout our gardening life. I have Astilbes around the pond and they are relatively easy to dig up. The False Goats Beard looks so like a mini Astilbe so it's an easy mistake to make!
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