Ground ivy has nearly got the better of me this spring. After a long, wet winter, it seems to have crept into pretty much every corner of our garden. And I mean, I’m finding it everywhere right now, including my lawn and borders. It’s well and truly winning the weeding battle, and I’ve been at a loss as to what to do about it.
I’ve tried the usual methods to get rid of weeds fast and eradicate them naturally, pulling it up here and there and hoping for the best. However, it became clear pretty quickly that this wasn’t a weed you could tackle the way I was.
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What makes ground ivy so hard to get rid of?
Ground ivy, also known as creeping Charlie, is deceptively pretty and beneficial to garden wildlife, but it’s persistent, too, which explains why my initial efforts barely made a dent. Lucie Bradley, gardening expert at Easy Garden Irrigation, explains that it can regrow even from the smallest pieces of root or stem you leave behind while you try to remove it.
‘If that isn’t bad enough, simply breaking the stems of ground ivy actually encourages vigorous growth,’ adds Lucie.
Liam Cleary, from The Old Railway Line Garden Centre, also explains that ground ivy is one of those weeds that really shows its strength after winter.
‘It can look like it’s taken over almost overnight, but in reality, it’s been quietly spreading underground for months, ready to surge as soon as conditions improve. That’s why so many gardeners feel like they’re suddenly battling a full invasion.’
‘The main issue with ground ivy is that what you see above the soil is only part of the problem,’ he says. ‘It spreads through creeping stems that root as they go, so even small fragments left behind can quickly regenerate. That’s what makes it so persistent and frustrating to fully clear.’
So now that I’m officially filled with terror, what can you do to get rid of it?
The best ways to get rid of ground ivy
Lucie advises that you’ll need to be patient and persistent when tackling ground ivy, as you’ll need to work hard to remove all the foliage and roots.
And if you’re considering just cutting your losses and getting the weedkiller out, Richard explains that it may not always be the most effective idea and may require several applications to see any effects because it’s moisture-resistant.
So, deep breaths and here goes… these are the three expert-approved methods to get rid of this notoriously invasive weed.
1. Manual removal
Liam explains that one of the most effective long-term approaches is simply consistency. ‘Regularly checking and pulling new growth before it establishes properly makes a bigger difference than one big clearance effort. It’s about gradually exhausting the plant rather than expecting an instant fix,’ he explains.
And Lucie says that spring is the perfect time to manually remove ground ivy from your garden, before its roots become strong and well established and before it flowers and releases seeds.
‘Ideally, remove after it has rained so the ground is moist, or water a few hours before starting to work, so that the roots are easier to remove from the ground,’ she advises. ‘Your aim is to remove all the foliage and roots, so I use a hand-held grubber, like this Gardena combisystem hand weeder, £10.10 from Amazon, with prongs that easily loosen runners and also allow me to disturb the soil so the roots are easier to extract.’
Liam says that if the ground is dry, the stems tend to snap, which is exactly what you don’t want with a plant like this, so making sure the ground is moist is key, even if it hasn’t rained in a while.
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Mini-Digger Shovel, Red
My mum swears by a root slayer, and I have been converted. I’ve used mine for everything from planting to digging out roots to stop ground ivy.
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Lucie Bradley recommends a good weed grubber and this is a great choice at a reasonable price.
2. Mulching
A great chemical-free way of clearing large areas of ground ivy is ground mulching, explains Lucie.
‘Mulching or covering affected areas can also help reduce its spread by blocking light, but it’s not a standalone solution,’ adds Liam. ‘Think of it as supporting control rather than eliminating it. It’ll slow the plant down, but you still need to stay on top of any shoots that find their way through.’
Although it is a long-term project, adds Lucie, which can mean it can take around six to twelve months to eradicate your target weeds.
‘The aim with sheet mulching is to smother the ground ivy, preventing light from reaching it so it can’t grow, and once it’s used up any stored energy in its roots, it dies – hence the need to be patient with this process,’ suggests Lucie.
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‘Simply cut the ground ivy as low as possible,’ says Lucie, with Richard Barker, horticultural expert at LBS Horticulture, adding that using a strimmer or cultivator (my Ryobi cordless handheld cultivator, £139.95 at Amazon, is the perfect tool to remove the top growth), then ‘water the area, and then cover with overlapping sheets of cardboard or newspaper, which you should then water.’
‘Then cover the layer with a five to 10cm depth of compost, bark chips (this 60L bag is great value, £19.99 from Amazon) or other mulch (we rate RocketGro Magic Mulch, £18.98 at Amazon here) and leave for at least six months for the process to take effect.’
Richard adds that the soil will need to be kept covered for a few years, with the mulch layer being topped up when necessary, to ensure that this is fully effective. You could even consider planting some effective ground cover plants to stop the spread, as I’ve done with creeping phlox.
3. Boiling water
If you want a fast way to remove the foliage and shallow roots of ground ivy, then pouring boiling water over the base and leaves will do this, explains Lucie.
‘The hot water ruptures the plant cells, and the plant withers and dies. However, any plants near the ground ivy could also be damaged, so you need to be careful,’ she explains.
‘Plus, as it is unlikely to reach long tap roots and kill those, you will need to watch for regrowth and repeat the process.’
How to prevent ground ivy coming back
It turns out that consistency is key in the war against ground ivy. Liam explains, ‘Don’t treat ground ivy as something you can remove in a single session. The gardeners who get the best results are the ones who stay consistent over time and chip away at it bit by bit until it eventually loses its hold.’
Richard suggests that you should monitor any areas where you have previously removed ground ivy to check that it is not emerging again, as catching the plants when they are small helps prevent them from taking over again.
You also need to be careful when disposing of the ground ivy you remove from your garden, advises Lucie. ‘If you want to try to add it to your compost, then it either needs to go into a hot composting bin where temperatures above 50 degrees Celsius will kill the plant.
Or you need to either dry it out or seal it in a black plastic bag for months until it turns into sludge, and then add it to your compost heap. Otherwise, add it to your green waste collection.
Ground ivy might be one of the most stubborn weeds I’ve had to try to deal with, but as you have read, there are ways to beat it. I now know that I can’t treat its removal as a quick weekend weeding job and start tackling it more strategically.
And if your garden is anything like mine over winter, just know you’re not alone. With the right approach to these pesky weeds, you can definitely get the upper hand again. Take that Creeping Charlie!
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