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Will anything outgrow ground elder???

(32 Posts)
teabagwoman Thu 12-Jan-23 20:35:51

I have a west facing border containing a few young shrubs and a mass of ground elder. I’d like to plant some perennials to fill in the gaps between the shrubs but will anything outgrow the ground elder which is coming through from next door. The soil is neutral, very heavy clay and is full of stones. I suspect there are also pockets of concrete/rubble buried underneath. It depresses me every time I look at it, can any of you wonderful gardeners help me?

Casdon Sun 15-Jan-23 21:14:10

Well, here’s the RHS guidance.
www.rhs.org.uk/weeds/ground-elder
As I said, it’s a major nuisance, I’m fortunate that I don’t have it in my current garden although I did in my last. I took everything out of the border and dug it out, it took months. I do grow annuals as well as perennials, as does my SiL now she has used the Mexican marigolds.

teabagwoman Mon 16-Jan-23 11:58:56

Reading all your advice/experience and considering what I’m capable off, given arthritis and limited sight, I think I’ll try planting some perennial geraniums and learn to live with the ground elder. Thank you for helping me make a decision and stop worrying about it.

J52 Mon 16-Jan-23 12:43:15

teabagwoman

Reading all your advice/experience and considering what I’m capable off, given arthritis and limited sight, I think I’ll try planting some perennial geraniums and learn to live with the ground elder. Thank you for helping me make a decision and stop worrying about it.

Geranium Macrorrhizum is the best variety to plant as it creeps blocking the roots of the elder.
It’s very easy to propagate, if you’ve got gardening friends they might have some to give you.

Ike66 Tue 16-Apr-24 09:48:39

I know I‘m late to the party but I have some issues with ground elder in a meadow I‘m trying to establish and I‘ve found that creeping cinquefoil (potentilla) used as ground cover, tends to quell it. Also it’s much more attractive, staying close to the ground and looking like miniature strawberry plants (and spreading in much the same way), with pretty yellow flowers in spring which are beloved by bees and butterflies, followed by tiny red berries that look like a carpets of rubies. Close too they truly resemble the tiniest alpine strawberries but have no taste to speak of - they are also know as false or barren strawberry and are part of the same genus. The best part about them is that if they spread where you don’t want them then you can simply fork them out.

Ike66 Tue 16-Apr-24 09:50:17

* Close to

Gwyllt Tue 16-Apr-24 10:54:36

In a previous house I battled with ground elder for thirty years and left it behind us I have pulled , dug and used glyphosate which does work but can’t be used amongst other plants It is said hoeing does not work but it never really spread into the grass which was cut regularly.
I believe it can be wilted with butter somewhat similar to spinach but never tried it Presume as it sprouts early on it is full of vitamin C