We have had Creeping Charlie weed in our yard for years. We also had a ton of it in our yard on the seminary campus. It is the very devil of weeds, growing close to the ground with roots which spread out under ground forever. Pull a bunch out and the rest just laugh because they know the next day it will all be back. So this story headline made me click the link.
"How to make sure Creeping Charlie doesn't overrun your garden."
I have learned over many years of dealing with this darn stuff, there is no good way to stop this intrusive weed. But, I read the story anyway and just laughed at the first piece of advice.
"The best option is to fence off your garden. It doesn’t need to be a particularly large fence, but it does need to extend several inches underground, to keep out creeping charlie’s roots. It also needs to be solid, since creeping charlie can grow through gaps. Any material will do. You can even make your own fence from cardboard wrapped in aluminum foil, or go the more aesthetically pleasing route and get a solid wooden fence that you can paint."
Not going to happen. So, they then said if you aren't going to do a fence, then try herbicides. But, herbicides kill everything else as well so maybe not. Then maybe pulling out as many as you see growing above ground. The dig up all the soil to get the roots.
My experience is pulling is fine, it works for about a week before more are back, we never get to the source and digging up the whole yard is not an option. Years ago I did come across something which kills it-20 Mule Team Borax. It sure did work, but the area around it was worse for wear. So, in the end, the only way to keep ahead of it in an actual vegetable or flower garden is to make time each week to pull the darn stuff out. In the lawn, forget it.
Here is some of our Creeping Charlie. It's in the shade along a stone wall and I just don't care. Lawn mowing keeps it sort of close to the ground.
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