Hello Fellow Gardeners, I have a ground-cover that someone once told me before giving me it, whatever you do, do not plant it in the ground......... Well, low and behold a couple years later, I was given the plant, and needed a plant to cover a certain part of one of my gardens, now it's everywhere........ I can't spray round-up anywhere near it because it's in the gardens I have beautiful plants in........ So I continue to rake it out & pull it out, and just when I think I've got it out, it's back....... It's actually growing around our trash can area, where I missed the can with a peice or two.... I don't know the name of this ground-cover it to look it up, any help would be greatly appreciated....
It is a sedum. Not exactly sure which one as there are many different ones. And yes, once you have it is very difficult to get rid of it. It grows in my mom's gravel driveway. When a part of it hits soil it will root. I also have it in my rock garden and do as you do. I start early in the spring. I do have contained to where I want it. It trails over the rocks and only there.
With no disrespect to Cereusly Steve, using Malathion is like using a hammer to kill an ant, and alot more toxic. http://www.chem-tox.com/malathion/research/ http://www.safe2use.com/poisons-pesticides/pesticides/malathion/malathion.htm You might want to try something a little more environmentally friendly like vinegar. http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2002/020515.htm http://www.ars.usda.gov/research/publications/publications.htm?seq_no_115=131932 Newt
Sorry Eft, but vineagar doesn't work. Malathion is not toxic to humans. If you really want to be environmentally friendly, just let the weeds take over, otherwise you can use manual effort and just yank them all out. How is killing ants with a hammer relevant anyway? Is it preferrable to use a magnifying glass?
Hello again Newt, I have this in a large bed of Stargazer Lillies that I DO NOT want anything to happen to, will it be ok to use there? Thanks again for your help....
Steve, it was just an analogy. If you don't want to read through all the articles about problems from the use of Malathion, you might want to read this about deaths and illness from Malathion. http://www.chem-tox.com/malathion/research/#human Goldylox, you would have to be just as careful with it as you would when using any non-selective herbicide such as RoundUp. It will kill or damage anything it splashes on. Of course painting it on with a foam brush is always an option. Newt
Re: Vinegar as a pesticide Newt, That was really interesting reading....... Thanks for the information....... I don't know about my Stargazer flower-bed, but I may just use it in other areas it's found its way to.... Is it ok for the soil itself ? Sorry to be such a bug about it, I would just really like to see it disappear forever......... Thanks for your time........
Goldylox, glad you found that informative. When you say "Is it ok for the soil itself ?", I'm thinking you mean the vinegar. It isn't bad for the soil in the sense it's toxic, and isn't good for the soil in the sense that it adds nutrients. It will make the soil more acidic, but it isn't meant as a soil drench and should be applied to the leaves of the weed you want to eliminate. Changing the soil to more acid can be harmful to some plants, but the soil pH returns to what it was within a few days. http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/bot00/bot00498.htm Newt