Well I had posted a pic in the plant ID post to get an ID on a horrible plant I had taking over one of my flower beds. Well here is an update. Only took me over two weeks of digging, sifting, transplanting, swearing-opps, replanting, putting all the rocks back around the flower bed and then adding pea gravel to keep the grass out and have a wider border for easier mowing. I will then spray anything that tries to grow in the gravel with vinegar to kill it. The first pic is of how the Goutweed had invaded my flower bed. The next pic's are of the same flower bed all cleaned out with mulch added and rocks needing to be set in place. Then the last one is of how it looks with the pea gravel around the outside with the stones set on top of the gravel. Phew! I will now keep an eagle eye on that bed and spray any Goutweed that rears it's ugly head with vinegar and kill it dead.
Oh my Tooty your bed looks So much better after all your hard work!! I hope you've seen the end of that invasive goutweed.
Your bed looks awesome now! Lots of hard work ... I know all about fighting with Goutweed. Keep that vinegar handy, that stuff is sneaky!
Eileen and Netty--thank you. I hope so to. Just thinking about all that work makes me thirsty for a beer. That is some awful stuff. Yes, my vinegar is on hand and so is my Spotted Cow.
Job well done!!!!! I have a similar problem with nutsedge (I think that's the name) When it cools off I will dig out all my iris, spray that nasty grass and replant the iris. I'm starting to sweat just thinking about it
What a nasty weed. I hope you got rid of it totally. Your bed looks great too. I like the edging and rocks, it kind of sets the whole bed off.
Strats & 2ofus--thank you for the codo's. I have been checking the bed and so far no bad stuff growing. I just checked on one of my other flower beds that I had neglected for those 3 wks. The weeds have had a hay day. They have no idea what is in store for them. They will soon be ripped out my their crummy little roots. I think I may need another Spotted cow after that battle.
Strats and Cayuga thank you again. So far so good. Yes Spotted cow is a delicious beer. Crafted in New Galrus, Wisconsin. It's a lighter beer with a somewhat fruity taste. Another one of my favorite beers is Blue Moon Belgian Wheat. They add Orange peel to the brew and so it also has just hint of fruit flavor. They serve it with a slice of orange on the side of the glass. This gives me an idea for a new thread.
Well done you! That looks like a success story, but you are right to keep an eagle eye out for any signs, however small, for a return of this dastardly demon.
Sjoerd Thank yoy. You are so right. Yesterday I was inspecting one of my front flower beds that had some of it growing there as well. I have been pulling it, or digging out any little dastardly demons I spot. YUP, there they were, baby goutweed. As I grabbed the little leaves and pulled them out they where crying. But I just ignored them and pulled out everyone that I spotted. I hate goutweed.
Sorry to hear of their return...but it is the nature of the beast. All you can do is keep an eye out and remove even the tiniest leaf. I would suggest that you also use a tool, pulling and keeping a gentle tension with the one hand and using the tool in the other, as you try and get under it and this way you can dig up a piece of root along with the little plant. Of course just pulling gingerly on the plant and breaking it off at the soil line does not help a great deal. I reckon that you know that by now though. Hang in there and do not give up.
Sj thank you for the words of encouragement in fighting this beast. I have been pulling and plucking off every leaf I find. I am going to arm myself with my spray bottle with vinegar in it and give them a good dousing to see if that will kill those bad beasties. I use it on a lot of unwanted plants and it makes a great bug killer as well. Death to those crummy evil plants.
If your vinegar solution works wonders please let me know. I could possibly use that in selected areas of my flower garden. Whatever you use, I would also advise you to still dig up as much root as possible. Hang in there.
