Hi, I need to get rid of ground cover, it is a mixture of Ivy and and something I have seen before, but not sure of the name. Both are evergreen. There are long, long runner roots in these beds and I would like to know the best method to clear the beds so that I may plant perrenials/annuals. Should I turn the soil over and just keep pulling as many as possible? I did start with RoundUp. If I turn the soil will I make my situation worse??Thanks so much for suggestions, as I have always had "new beds" not renovated ones. Flowerlou
Need to kill a long bed of ground cover,, runner roots..
Roundup, loosen soil, pull vines. Repeat as necessary. Don't finely till the soil until the vines are gone, otherwise they'll just wrap around the tiller tines.
pam, whose first year "gardening" was spent yanking ivy vines!
THANK YOU Pam!! That's just what I figured....I bet I will be pulling for awhile,, these were thick and obviously there for a very long time,, thanks for your reply, Flowerlou, aka Mary
Or you may try lasagna gardening! Place wet newspaper sheets on top of your ground cover and put soil on top and plant what you want. It is much easier than killing and pulling out plants
Here is a website with more information
http://www.ourgardengang.com/lasagna_gardening.htm
That worked real well out at Badseeds place.
She did some huge beds w/ cardboard from our warehouse.
Ric
Gosh, did I post that? No, I checked...it says "flowerlou". LOL!!!!
Me too - need to kill that d&^% groundcover. Mine is English Ivy and Vinca.
I was going to snip and dig, but I think I will actually use the Roundup because I have given up on doing anything with that bed this year. That ivy is really stubborn stuff.
Geesh, it is a mess... I really want to plant this this year.....I miss my old flower beds! WAHH!
Heck I also have old evergreen, (spruce?) shrub stumps to take out. Actually more than one evergreen stumps, obviously I dont know alot about evergreen shrubs, except they were very old, unruly, ugly.
It will be hard and expensive to get a stump grinder to the site...except I do have two tree stumps to get rid of in the front of my home. Gosh, it seems so overwhelming,,, I was so used to my own planned perennial beds at my old house. This place was so neglected,,, such a shame. Sorry for my words, but truly, it is a mess. I have holly bushes growing where none should grow. I have poisen ivy with two little ones, and just plain junk. All of the good stuff is either in the wrong place or needs big time rejuvinating.
I am having a hard time being patient... I always do. This house is a mess compared to my old one.. but ,,,,, when you have kids,, you move for the schools. Besides,,, we got a great deal, and the lot is great,,,,,just so so so so neglected...thank you all for listening and letting me get this off my mind. I was also upset I missed the ORVG round up..... things have been hard,,,,, GOT to sell that old house! have a great week, Flowerlou aka, Mary
Sounds like you and I have a similar situation...I spent the first year pulling ivy and evergreen stumps out of the ground. (There's a thread about getting stumps to rot faster...lemme see if I can find it...) The property had been neglected for years and it was (and parts still are) a mess. But, you work on one bit at a time and plant as you go. (This is my first house and honestly, I'm so excited to finally have a place of my own that I don't even mind the yanking of vines and pulling of stumps. Too much, anyway. :) )
Cheers!
pam
Here you go...
http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/592015/
Well, I know a REALLY nice 3 bedroom house for sale in Liberty Twp. that has garden beds already neatly maintained...Lakota schools...there's a lovely blue clematis in front, a veggie bed all ready to go and a fenced-in compost pile, two large sheds and NO IVY.
Come on someone buy it! :)
Thanks Pam,,the link is great.. I think Dh is just going to go for the stump grinder. The ones in front are big and unsightly. They are from big trees. most in the back are the evergreen bushes. ALL of this yard has been neglected for years. UGH. Mary
No pkock, you know that the three bedroom house that needs to be sold is in Mt Washington!
In a quiet neighborhood......now :-)
Flowerlou, in addition to the ivy and evergreen stumps, my property came with this absolutely enormous stump in the front/side yard that I decided to turn into an "architectural interest piece", since there was no way I was going to grind it down. The neighbors actually say nice things about it. :) Here's a snap...
I totally agree with you, scraggly evergreen shrub stumps are ugly and a real pain in the neck!
pam
Pam, yours is a nice archetectural piece...mine are sadly straight ugly STUMPS. Yours, you can change all kinds of art stuff, make it interesting. Not so here. :(
Thanks for sharing, Mary
Pkock and Badseed,,,, NO you are both mistaken,,, the real house to be bought is in College Hill,,, beautiful totally updated Tudor with 4 bdrms. Incredible master suite with whirlpool for after gardening all day. Nice maintained flower beds, and a heated, grow lighted, phone, music piped in , sink, redwood shelves, vented greenhouse!!! It is screaming: Please buy me!
Mary.
Mm, bummer...you could stick some googly eyes on them, I guess. :) (Just kidding...I have a bizarre sense of humor.)
pam
In a quiet neighborhood......now :-)
That made me burst out laughing, Ric!
We finally did battle with a bed full of English ivy and spurge year before last. We did multiple applications of Roundup over the course of a month or so, then pulled it all out by hand. The few spots that came back, we were able to remove by hand. Starting last June, it became our veggie garden!
Whoops, that one above is the "during" shot when we layered wet newspaper, composted cow manure and mulch.
Here's the bed a little later in the season. Everything did great there.
Thanks gw!
Late into the RU I lead the group down the garden path w/ a story about visiting Chele's old place a few weekends ago.
It ended w/ the neighbors standing in their front yards in awe that birds actually could sing.
I tease her all the time but her 6 Pack are actually quieter than my 2'fer. lol
Ric
Big hugs to everyone who is making two house payments.. OUCH.
Been there, done that, still traumatized
Thanks Jazz,, it IS traumatizing.
Mary
I have a house in College Hill that also had really overgrown trees and beds. In fact, it's still a work in progress to neaten things up. I've got a bed to Round-up and pull, too. A couple of years ago I was quite productive in pulling out tons of vinca and ivy one afternoon. I happened to be really angry with someone I worked with at the time, and pulling all that groundcover was seriously therapeutic! Hmm, I should thank her for triggering that pulling spree. :)
Just bought more Roundup today...
Hi all! I just joined this site and I have loved and learned so much so far. I recently tilled up an area about 50' X 15' It had wild vines growing in it and the tiller took the majority of them out so it req'd a li'l back grease ;-). I dont like using chemicals except when necessary. I have "inherited" so to say about 8,000 daylily fans. The lady says possibly close to 400 varieties. This is the first bed I shall be utilizing for transplanting, I will also build another soon. Im interested in finding out more about the ORVG and joining in some activites. Any suggestions on finding out about activites and also about any tips for trying to get my daylilies to bloom this year. They were cut with lawnmowers early in the season. Thanks so much to all replies!!!
WOW, what a wonderful "inheritance". Welcome to DG, Andrew!
Welcome Andrew!
What part of Cincy?
Ric
Im in Norwood. My planting beds are primarily scattered throughout tricounty mall area around corner from Delhi in Glendale and Springdale. Thanks for the greetings and meeting you Gardenwife and Ric!! Im off to check the beds and try to plant a few hundred fans before sundown if not too wet!! Ric what part of town you in?
Right near Mt Washington in Anderson so pretty close to you.
Ric