Hey folks! I'm dealing with a serious invasion of Green Alkanet in my backyard. I'm not the most experienced gardener—I might as well be an astronaut! It's taken over a huge chunk of my lawn, and I'm planning to put in a patio where it's the densest. Do I need to completely eradicate these plants before building? Is there any powerful weed killer that could handle this? I know it would wipe out my grass too, but I'm okay with starting fresh. They make my garden look pretty messy, and I'm keen to get rid of them. Any advice would be really appreciated!
3 Answers
I've battled this stuff before! Initially, I tried regular weed killer from the store, but it didn’t do much. The best solution I found was just digging them up. They have deep roots that often break, but if you keep at it, you can control their spread. Regular mowing helps too, as it prevents them from flowering and seeding all over the place. It's tough work at first, but consistency pays off!
It’s an ongoing struggle! I’m two years into my fight, and while I’ve made a dent, you have to be careful around plants you want to keep. Just keep on pulling them out as they pop back up!
I get that! My garden is pretty bare right now; I only have grass. I'm considering the nuclear option of just digging it all up. Time to invest in a solid spade!
If you're determined to get rid of them, you'll need to turn the soil and remove all their roots since Alkanet has a strong taproot. Just a heads up, they are self-seeders, so be ready for a repeat battle. But hey, they do look pretty when they flower!
Would glyphosate work for this? I know it’ll kill the grass too, but I'm fine with that.
I had better luck with a combination of weed killer and a paintbrush for targeted spots. They’re persistent little buggers!