What Kills Creeping Charlie In Lawns

How To Kill Creeping Charlie With Vinegar

What is the best weed killer for creeping charlie? Creeping charlie is an extremely low-lying plant that forms vines and inhibits the growth of other plants while theyre growing.

Often a nuisance that is hard to get rid of, creeping charlie is especially susceptible to some kinds of chemicals. One of them is horticultural vinegar.

The vinegar that is used for food contains about 5 percent acetic acid which is not effective against most gardening requirements. However, the horticultural vinegar has a lot more acetic acid content that makes it more potent and effective towards the weeds youre trying to use it against in this case, creeping charlie.

Although horticultural vinegar can definitely be used against the growth of creeping charlie, you have to understand the dangers that that involves.

NOTE: If horticultural vinegar is sold as a herbicide, it has to follow the same rules that you adhere to with other herbicides. Horticultural vinegar is also highly corrosive, which means that you should not let kids or pets near it when it is applied or stored. Hence, this is how you kill creeping charlie with vinegar.

How To Kill Creeping Charlie

Most homeowners hate how weeds look in their lawn. Unfortunately, getting rid of these common pests isnt always as easy as pulling them out of the groundespecially when youre dealing with the notoriously tough creeping Charlie. Creeping Charlie is a tough and stubborn weed that can take root in your lawn and cause your grass to look dry and dead.

Thankfully, there are a few steps that you can take to get rid of this stubborn weed for good. Our guide will help you tackle current creeping Charlie growth and create a lawn thats inhospitable for future weeds.

Creeping Charlie Is A Rapidly

Creeping Charlie is a fast-spreading groundcover that’s classified as an invasive weed in many states.

Creeping Charlie is a fast-spreading groundcover that’s classified as an invasive weed in many states.

Creeping Charlie, also known as ground ivy, is a shade-loving perennial thats grown as groundcover.Its also sometimes used in containers and hanging baskets because its easy to grow and looks lovely trailing over the sides of the pot. But once it escapes the place its planted and it always escapes, thanks to its prolific seeds, rhizomes and stems that grow roots creeping Charlie becomes an aggressive, invasive plant that will take over your lawn and garden. Read on to learn how to get rid of creeping Charlie when it becomes a problem.

Botanical Name:Glechoma hederaceaCommon Name: Creeping Charlie, ground ivy, gill-over-the-ground, alehoffs, cats footHardiness Zones: 2 to 12

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Creeping Charlies Good Points

OK, even a creep like Charlie has some benefits. If you can keep it under control, creeping Charlie has powers that can be harnessed for good.

Its edible. Ask a wild-food forager and theyll tell you Charlies young leaves have a mild mint flavor and are delicious tossed into salads. Leaves can also be cooked like spinach, or added to soups or omelettes. You can also make a tea from creeping Charlie leaves.

Its a good lawn substitute. If youre looking for an eco-friendly, low-maintenance alternative to turf grass in a shady area, creeping Charlie is a good choice. It grows in thick mats you wont need to mow. There are noninvasive groundcovers that are better choices for turf substitute, though.

Its good for erosion control. Creeping Charlie grows in shady conditions and in poor soil, so if you have an area prone to washout, creeping Charlie can keep the soil in its place.

Pollinators like it. Creeping Charlies flowers produce nectar in the spring and early summer that’s loved by bees and butterflies. Your weed is their food.

Tired of mowing that lawn? Why not replace expensive, high-maintenance sod with an easy-care, environmentally-friendly groundcover?

Pbi/gordon Speed Zone Weed Killer The Best For The Quick Action

You will see visible results in hours, and in just two weeks your lawn will be good for seeding. This weed killer is good for swift and effective weed control in turfgrass for common unwanted vegetation. It is labeled with Creeping Charlie and can be added while rising aggressively. In its younger stages, it is easier to monitor.

Tips for users:Pros

• Requires a hand sprayer
• May leak upon arrival

One point is obvious, and that is that this herbicide is killing everything it impacts. This stuff is effective but it can destroy the valuable grasses that encircle the broadleaf weeds if applied in hot weather.

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Controlling Ground Ivy In Home Lawns

• Linda Lewis, Master Gardener, Somerset County
• Joseph Gyurian, Horticultural Consultant, Somerset County

Ground Ivy , also known as ‘Creeping Charlie’, ‘Creeping Jenny’ and ‘Gill-Overthe-Ground’, is a common perennial, evergreen weed found throughout New Jersey. It thrives in shady, moist areas in low wooded habitats, along roadsides, and in disturbed sites. From such places it can easily invade home lawns and can quickly crowd out the more desirable turfgrass. True to its name, it creeps along the soil surface and forms roots where the leaves join the stem.

Green Gobbler Vinegar Weed Killer

With a new and improved formula, Green Gobblers Vinegar Weed Killer is ideal for speedy weed removal. It contains 20% acetic acid and is free of harmful chemicals that can cause sickness or injury, making it organic and earth-friendly. Its biodegradable and neutralizes after rainfall.

This herbicide is versatile in its use, proving to be safe for use in residential, commercial, agricultural, and industrial purposes. In these areas, it can be sprayed anywhere where weeds are not welcome: the lawn, driveway, parking lots, flower beds, and many more specific places.

Moreover, the product is effective in killing stubborn weeds like crabgrass, dandelions, musk thistle, and white clover. When it comes to using, its almost as easy to use as it is effective, featuring a trigger spray system that targets weeds with precision. This helps prevent damage to the grass and plants in the area, as well as saves product.

After it has been sprayed, the product is fast-acting, with users seeing results in as little as a day.

Pros:

• Not safe for pets or children

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Make The Creep Take A Flying Leap In 3 Easy Steps

How To Kill Creeping Charlie With Herbicides

Here are the products Ryan uses in the video above. Links will take you to these products on Amazon:

And to reiterate Ryans warning these chemicals can be harmful if they come in contact with the skin or eyes, so wearing eye protection, gloves, and clothing that covers all of your skin is a must.

I also recommend keeping kids and pets off your lawn for a while after spraying.

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Hand Pulling Creeping Charlie

Depending on how much space the weed covers, one natural weed elimination option is pulling Creeping Charlie by hand.

I recommend that you wear gloves since the mint properties of this weed lend themselves to itching and allergic reactions if you have sensitive skin.

My advice if youll be hand-pulling Creeping Charlie is to moisten the ground a little .

This allos the vines pull easily and helps them to not snap off above the ground.

A fork or specialized weed pulling tool can help to dig around the rhizomes and lift them out of the dirt.

When pulling Creeping Charlie from the ground, it is crucial to pull all parts of the plant not just the rhizomes into a bag and not leave them lying on the ground.

Creeping Charlie vines have nodes at the base of each leaf stem. These nodes are capable of creating roots if they come into contact with the soil so pull it, and remove it.

Pulling Creeping Charlie by hand is a challenging task that leaves a lot of room for error. Unfortunately, you will need to follow up with more rounds of pulling every two weeks, but if youre dilligent it can be an effective and natural way to do it.

I think it makes a fantastic punishment for kids who have misbehaved.

The Best Chemical To Kill Creeping Charlie

Dicamba and Triclopyr are the active ingredients that seem to provide the best control of creeping Charlie, although 4-D also provides some level of control. At KG Landscape, we use a specialty herbicide that contains more of the active Dicamba and Triclopyr ingredients than what youd find in a retail product. If youre trying to kill creeping Charlie on your own, look at the label of any product that claims to be effective and make sure the amount of Dicamba and Triclopyr is greater than 3% and 4% respectively. We also use surfactant that reduces the surface tension of water, preventing it from beading or rolling off the leaves when applied. The chemical must stick to the leaf for at least 12 hours to be effective, with 24 hours being preferred. We suggest watering thoroughly after 24 hours to help jump start the translocation process and rinse the herbicide off the leaves of desirable grasses. Our treatment does not kill lawn grasses , so watering helps prevent any noticeable damage to your lawn.

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Maintain A Healthy Lawn

Creeping Charlie thrives in unhealthy lawns.

Regular mowing, watering, and getting on a good fertilization schedule that produces a thick, lush carpet of turfgrass is one of the best ways to prevent Creep Charlie from creeping in.

Well-fed grass grows extra thick, leaving no room for weeds. A thick, lush stand of grass blocks sunlight from hitting the soil, which triggers the germination of undesirables such as Creep Charlie and countless grass-like weeds that are waiting to invade your lawn.

Feeding your lawn for a thick stand of healthy grass is the best way to prevent Creeping Charlie and other pesky weeds from infiltrating your yard.

How To Prevent Creeping Charlie

Preventing the growth of creeping charlie can help you avoid the inconvenience of having to kill the species off. Green Stuff Lawn practices preventative lawn maintenance that targets weed species while remaining harmless to the grass. As a homeowner, here are some ways you can prevent and eliminate creeping charlie in your yard:

• Keep your grass healthy. A healthy and maintained lawn is the best way to defend your yard against weeds. Because creeping charlie spreads in areas where the grass is malnourished or sparse, a well-fed lawn can block sunlight from accessing the soil and spreading invasive weeds. Lawn fertilizing can help to infuse nutrients into the soil and maintain a thriving lawn.
• Patch up the bare spots. Creeping charlie loves shady, moist spots in your lawn, where grass thins out. Thinning grass is a primary location for weeds to start overtaking. By rapidly repairing the bare spots in your lawn, you can stop creeping charlie in its tracks.
• Overseed in the spring or fall. Overseeding can help fill in the gaps where sunlight doesnt reach the soil. This method results in a thick, luscious lawn that is less susceptible to the threat of invasive weed species.
• Set your lawnmower on high. Although a low-cut lawn can look high class, tall grass blocks the sunlight that helps weeds germinate from making contact with the soil.

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Does Borax Kill Creeping Charlie

Borax kills creeping charlie because it contains boron, a micronutrient that when in excess becomes toxic to the plant. To kill creeping charlie in your lawn, you can apply borax to increase the boron toxicity in the soil and eventually get rid of ground ivy and a few other stubborn weeds without killing turfgrass.

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Bonide Weed Beater Ultra

Manufactured by Bonide, Weed Beater Ultra has been designed to target and kill dozens of different kinds of weeds. The product is safe to use on the lawn and wont damage or kill any kind of common lawn grasses.

This weed killer uses a spray application that is best suited for use with a specialized backpack, knapsack sprayer, or compression. This ensures that the user is kept away from the chemicals but also guarantees an even spray for uniform results.

Once the product is applied, weed damage can be noticed within just a few hours. Death of the plant will occur 7-14 days after the initial application, the product killing every part of the weed including the deepest roots.

Within a few hours of being applied, Weed Beater Ultra is waterproof, which safeguards it against rain and moisture. Once it fully dried, its safe from being washed or wiped away by rain or moisture.

Pros:

• Waterproof within 6 hours of application
• Easy to use with backpack or knapsack sprayer
• Will not damage existing grass

Cons:

Providing the ultimate control over broadleaf weeds that run rampant through cold-season turf, IT-Zone Turf Herbicide is an excellent choice for homeowners in cooler climates. IT-Zone includes a blend of four active ingredients: dicamba, sulfentrazone, 2,4-D, and triclopyr.

Moreover, the product can be used for residential and commercial purposes these include public fields and parks, school turf, and home-grown lawns.

Pros:

Southern Ag Crossbow Herbicide

Crossbow Herbicide is a high-quality weed killer that can be used on weeds, brush, and unwanted trees, making it one of the most versatile products on the market. The product is designed to kill a variety of common weeds, which makes it great for creeping Charlie control.

Each container of the product combines 2,4-D, butoxy ethyl, and triclopyr and is a highly concentrated mixture. When it comes to using the product, its simple to use and comes with easy to follow instructions that outline the process in layman terms. Adding to its convenience, the mixture can be dispensed from any basic household sprayer.

After the weeds have been sprayed with the chemical mixture, visible signs of plant death can be observed within a few short hours. In most cases, the plants will be completely dead within 7-14 days. Once dead, the unwanted plants will shrivel up and disappear.

Pros:

• Easy to use with any standard household sprayer

Cons:

• Grass sprayed with a large amount of chemical can be susceptible to damage

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Identifying Creeping Charlie Weed

Creeping charlie is often called ground ivy due to its appearance and growth habits. Creeping charlie weed is a green vine whose leaves are round with scalloped edges. Creeping charlie has a small purple flower.

The creeping charlie plant is most easily identified by its growth habit. It is a vine that grows close to the ground and will form a mat-like ground cover if allowed to. The vines have nodes at each of the places where leaves grow and these nodes will form roots if they come in contact with the soil. This is part of the reason that creeping charlie weed is so frustrating, as you cannot simply pull it up. Every rooted node can turn into a new plant if left behind.

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How To Control And Kill Creeping Charlie In Your Lawn

Many homeowners have discovered a pesky, vining weed invading their yards and garden beds.

With small, scalloped leaves that look very similar to geranium leaves, this vining weed is Glechoma hederacea, commonly referred to as creeping Charlie, creeping Jenny, or ground ivy.

Although gardeners may hope to never become familiar with creeping Charlie on their own property, this weed pest spreads easily and vigorously. If a neighbor has creeping Charlie in their yard, odds are that it will eventually spread to your yard too. Unfortunately, it is not an easy task to kill creeping Charlie.

Creeping Charlie is a perennial weed that grows low to the ground. A member of the mint family, creeping Charlie will produce a minty scent when its leaves are crushed and it sends out tiny, but rather pretty blue-violet flowers in the spring.

Creeping Charlie will reproduce from its seeds, but it spreads most readily by setting down roots all along its long stems. Its ability to spread easily is a trait that makes it so difficult to kill creeping Charlie.

If any bits of the vine remain after attempting to kill the plant, the surviving bits will happily continue to grow and spread.

Creeping Charlie is resistant to a number of chemical herbicides, making it difficult to control this annoying weed. Its growing habits can also make it a daunting task to kill creeping Charlie, but donât despair.

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