How To Get Rid Of Ground Ivy

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Much to the consternation of many homeowners, ground ivy, which is also commonly referred to as "creeping Charlie," is a sprawling perennial that quickly overruns any lawn or flower bed where it is introduced. If you spot ground ivy on your property, you may consider eliminating it because of the damage it inflicts on your lawn or garden. However, keeping your yard free of weeds is nearly impossible and requires frequent use of herbicides. Whether using chemicals or natural remedies, there are several ways to get rid of ground ivy and prevent its future return.^[1]

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Properly identify ground ivy in your yard. To avoid harming desired plants, make sure to positively identify ground ivy. Ground ivy, or creeping Charlie, spreads quickly to form a dense, mat-like groundcover, starving grass and nearby flowers or vegetables of necessary nutrients.^[2]
- Ground ivy produces clusters of small blue or purple flowers.
- The plant's leaves are small and coin-shaped with scalloped or round-toothed edges.
- Since ground ivy is a member of the mint family, it has square stems and is somewhat aromatic, especially after its leaves are cut or crushed.
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Pull the ground ivy plants from your yard by hand. Remove the plant by holding the stem as close to the soil as possible as you pull. This will help ensure that the entire root is completely removed from the ground. Any remaining root will encourage re-growth. Make sure to wear garden gloves to protect your hands as you work.^[3]
- Ground ivy is difficult to pull up from the ground because of its many roots, which cause it to stick to the ground like Velcro. The plant quickly spreads by sending out runners (stolons), which sprout roots at each of its connective nodes. You'll need to painstakingly remove each root-source from the ground to ensure that the plant will not return.
- It will be easier to pull up long strips of ground ivy at a time when the soil is moist. Weed after a rain or watering your lawn to make this tedious task a little more bearable.
- In addition to seeding, ground ivy also reproduces with rhizomes, making it especially pervasive as well as tiresome to remove. These underground connective tubes can sprout roots and produce new plants. When you are pulling up the ground ivy by hand, you'll need to dig underneath the soil as well to reach the rhizomes. If you accidentally leave any behind, new plants will crop up and spread.
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Smother it with plastic or mulch if it has infested your flower bed. Cover the patch of ground ivy with a tarp in order to starve the plant of air, light, and water. This method works best if you are only trying to target a small area. It is less practical if you are battling a yard-wide infestation, for example.^[4]
- Use a black piece of plastic in order to fully block out the light.
- You can also use mulch, which will starve the ground ivy of light while allowing your intentionally grown plants to thrive!
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Spray the ground ivy with a broadleaf herbicide. Use a garden pump sprayer to apply an herbicide containing triclopyr onto the ground ivy because it will selectively target broadleaf weeds while leaving your grass intact. Products such as Confront, Chaser, and Weed-B-Gon contain triclopyr and have proven to be successful at eliminating ground ivy. Make sure to carefully read the application instructions listed on the bottle and closely follow all safety guidelines.^[5]
- Read the entire label before you handle, mix, or apply the herbicide and make sure to wear protective gear, such as eyewear and gloves to protect your skin while handling the chemicals.
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Apply a glyphosate-based herbicide to your yard for a serious infestation. Only apply an herbicide containing glyphosate, such as Roundup, to your entire yard if you have a serious infestation of ground ivy and you've exhausted all other methods. This is an extreme solution and will effectively kill everything in your yard, including your grass.^[6]
- Carefully read the application instructions on the bottle. Roundup is a harsh chemical and should be handled and applied with extreme care.
- This method will require that you restart your lawn from scratch, either by reseeding in the fall or sowing a new bed of sod. Check the label for guidelines about how long to wait after application before planting new grass or flowers. The general recommendation is to wait 3 days before planting grass.^[7]
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Apply herbicides in the Fall to maximize their effectiveness. Fall is the best time to apply herbicides because plants are actively drawing in nutrients from the soil to store for the winter. This makes them especially susceptible to the herbicide during this time.
- It is also best to apply herbicide during mild temperatures, between 60 to 80 °F (16 to 27 °C), and when there is no wind.
- Do not apply the chemical if rain is expected within the next 24 hours and do not mow for several days after application.
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Consider the harmful effects of chemical herbicides before using them. Think about the potential effects that chemical herbicides may have on the environment before applying them to your lawn. Not only can herbicides cause unintended harm to nearby plants, they can also leach into natural water sources through runoff. ^[8]
- Keep in mind that some weeds, including ground ivy, can become resistant to herbicides after repeated use.
- Weigh the long-term effects of herbicide use against your desire to eliminate plants such as ground ivy and consider using more natural methods.
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Spray a Borax soap solution onto the ground ivy for an organic solution. Mix 20 to 30 ounces (570 to 850 g) of Borax per 1 gallon (3.8 L) of water in a garden pump sprayer and apply to the patch of ground ivy. Borax, though primarily used as a laundry detergent, has also been found to be toxic to ground ivy. Researchers have identified the boron present in the Borax as the key ivy-killing ingredient.^[9]
- Use caution when applying the soap solution because Borax can also damage nearby plants, causing them to turn yellow and stunting their growth.
- Though Borax presents an organic control option, some research questions its effectiveness as a long-term control solution.^[10]
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Introduce more natural light to the area. Remove any large shrubs, trees, or structures that might be casting shade over your lawn or garden. Ground ivy thrives in shady conditions. Making your yard or garden an inhospitable environment for ground ivy is the only long-term solution to prevent its growth and spreading.^[11]
- Try pruning back large shade-providing tree limbs or shrubs if complete removal is not feasible or desirable.
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Allow your garden or lawn to dry out. While it might sound counterintuitive, a moist yard with poor drainage creates the perfect growing environment for ground ivy. Consider watering your lawn less frequently and reducing the amount of water you apply. If you have problems with standing water, you may need to improve your yard or garden's drainage.^[12]
- Your yard may be retaining too much water due to your soil's composition. Clay-based soils retain large amounts of water, making for a moist yard where ground ivy can thrive. Test the composition of your soil by taking a soil sample into your local garden store. You may need to purchase and add topsoil to your lawn to balance out the clay.
- Removing shade from your yard should also help correct the over retention of water in your soil, allowing it to dry out naturally in the sunlight.
- Consider whether you need to create a drainage ditch if your yard is located in a low-lying area and is collecting runoff from nearby buildings or roads during rain showers.
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Improve the overall health of your lawn. Creating an adequately fertilized and pruned lawn will improve the health of your turf, making it robust and able to fend off competition from creeping ground ivy. An unhealthy, depleted lawn will be easily overtaken by ground ivy.^[13]
- Improve the density of your lawn turf by regularly cutting your lawn to a height of 2 to 3.5 inches (5.1 to 8.9 cm) and by over-seeding grass in the fall.
- Make sure you are growing the correct type of grass in your yard. The grass breed should be native to your area and be shade-tolerant if your yard does not receive abundant amounts of natural sunlight.
- Fertilize your yard adequately and maintain a slightly acidic soil pH (in the 6.5 range on the pH scale) in order to create an environment where your grass will thrive! It will be more difficult for ground ivy to take over a healthy, lush yard!
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