Have used this method successful on an entire yard. I start with wet overlapping newspaper, then wet overlapping cardboard (all are well soaked in a wheelbarrow full of water), then a heavy layer of free wood chips. Works beautifully.
Thanks so much for this video. I saw it a while ago and used this technique to tackle a few large areas of gout weed. I used wine/liquor boxes (free from the store) and leaves, dirt, or mulch on top. It took a few seasons, but now my planting beds are gout weed free!
That's a pretty solid way of dealing with most weeds. Plus, if you can get everything you need for free, WTF wouldn't people do this? This is going to do zero harm round flowering shrubs, fruit trees etc. Fair play to your fellow Canadians for providing this great resource.
Grow potatoes where you have Ground Elder. It doesn't like potatoes and you will have less and less every year. I mow the Ground Elder down and plant the potatoes on the surface and cover them with a thick layer of mulch. As the potatoes grow I continue to add mulch. I have not had any Ground Elder in that area for 2 years now.
Thanks for this! That's awesome when you're starting from scratch, but I let my raised beds go for 2 years and they're completely full of goutweed (ground elder). That's in among my walking onions where I need to plant tomatoes next week. I guess I could do that and just make holes for the tomatoes ... I'll give it a try.
Thank sir. It confirms what I was suspecting. My only issue is that this stuff has found its way in the open spaces under 4 beds of peonies. So there I'm uncertain if I can use paper or carton. But certainly I will use loads of leaf mulch.
When we moved into our house, the neighbour's goutweed had spread from their property to my property. Not knowing what it was, I just dug it out, made the garden bigger, and planted some perennials. Over the next couple of years, the goutweed came back worse than ever! It eventually choked out my perennials. I have STRUGGLED for years, trying to eradicate this horrible, evil plant, but it always wins. It has made me hate gardening. I know I shouldn't be so defeatist, but, after so many years of trying to dig it out (many hours of wasted time), I still end up with a "garden" full of goutweed. I'm going to try your method this fall, but I honestly feel like I will never get to the point where the goutweed will be completely gone, and I will be able to have the garden I've always dreamed of. It so frustrating to say the least. Thanks for all the tips!
That's a really tough break you've had there. Using this method it will take about 2 years to eradicate the roots, but it will work if you can thoroughly cover and smother the plants. Good luck :)
The Mexican marigold, Tagetes minuta, is known for its herbicidal root secretions that are toxic enough to kill many weeds, including ground elder. I just got some seeds so will give it a try!
I love this, SO... I was thinking...if I did this, in an area I want to use eventually. So, how long will it take to destroy the goutweed monster? I figure I can make the area look good, as it is the scene outside my sunroom windows. SO I could still have access to pieces appearing, and having to add leaves, etc. If I just put containers of plants, here and there, on top of the bags, and leaves. Does that sound like a good plan? I have tried everything else except burning it.
That's a great idea. You should cover and smother for 2 or 3 years. Every spring watch the area carefully to see if anything shows up. If nothing shows up and it's like May/june - then you've probably eradicated them. Great idea with the pots to use the space in the meantime!
They taste a bit like parsley, but not as good. You can eat them, but there are better things to eat and they will not take over your entire property. I've tried them - nothing to write home about. Eradicate them!!! :)
Speaking to the comment of the risk of using leaves, I had read that goutweed does not die when composted. I saw proof of this when a work colleague obtained free compost for her vegetable garden from our municipal compost facility, only to have goutweed sprout up in the exact spot. I myself have severe contamination from neighbors on either side of my yard. I want to do the smother and kill method, but if my neighbors do not, what success can I possibly have. They are not interested I have asked. Mind you, if I can even keep it from spreading any further I would be happy.
That's a shame that your neighbours aren't on board. Sounds like it's just something you'll have to mitigate indefinitely. You'll have to maintain a perimeter - i'd say about 2' wide all along the border with your neighbour's lawn, and perpetually re-apply layers to it. What a chore to have to manage that. Other option is sell the house (not much of an option I know :)
This is an obvious question I’m sure but did you pull the goutweed first and dig down and remove the earth or simply start covering and mulching? I’ve got quite a job ahead of me! I see it in some of my grass too.
Looks like you are doing a wonderful job! I hope you eradicate it this time! Have you considered the possibility of getting more gout weed seeds from the bags of leaves? You never know what was growing in the yards where the leaves are from.
I'm trying this method for my goutweed problem. Will this cause any rot/fungi etc issues if the leaves are piled too close to very large trees (E.g. white cedar)? will it "suffocate" the trees' roots too? Is it possible to put too much leaves near the base of the tree?
Hi i just watch all 3 videos i dont have gout weed even tho its very common in our landscapes in the netherlands....next to highways farmland roads etc But i like this method a lot... 1 because you starve and exterminate the plant completely 2 because its free (we dont have baggs like that but i can use cardboard. 3 instead of using harsh chemicals... you mulch and compost in place year after year your enriching the soil and that i like a lot. And you can always use the spot by placing a pretty planters on the leaves instead of growing someting in the ground. Yup this goes in my favorites Ps i did mis the link to all the other videos you made prior to this one. You forgot to place in the description like you said. But anyway i hope next spring its dead as a doornail and then some... Wish you a great week Kind regards rose 🌹
Maritime Gardening no worries i can look for it but u know Some are lazy and wont look any further. I enjoy your channel a lot i hope to learn a lot more and im shure i will the more i watch. Kind regards rose 🌹
Here's an interesting idea I had this summer about that very problem. Its seems to have worked just fine, very easy solution! ua-cam.com/video/VQZl8yNp7kI/v-deo.html
It worked completely in one area of the property, and in the other I thought it had worked - because i'd seen nothing for a year, but this spring I noticed just a couple plants growing, roughly at the outer edge of the area I had covered previously. So I've recovered it again. I guess the takeaway is that you should always add 2 feet to the total area covered , just to account for root-spread
@@maritimegardening4887 thanks. I've only recently identified mine, and there's a lot of it I have to deal with. I'd rather not use glysophate if I can help it, so I'm going to try your method. I've just ordered 2 1,000-litre bags of forest bark mulch
@maritimegardening4887 Oh no! The last owners of my house planted it all along the not long before I bought the place and it choked out everything. I even found a 1m tall rose bush ! Would digging down 2 feet and placing a barrier help?
Because my entire property will be covered in it - and I have other things I'd rather grow. And there is no scientific evidence to support many of the medicinal claims. And - I don't have rheumatoid arthritis, gout, hemorrhoids, or kidney stones - things it's supposed to help. ....But most importantly the first reason.
Have used this method successful on an entire yard. I start with wet overlapping newspaper, then wet overlapping cardboard (all are well soaked in a wheelbarrow full of water), then a heavy layer of free wood chips. Works beautifully.
Did you pull the goutweed, or pull the grass before you put the newspaper/cardboard down?
Thanks so much for this video. I saw it a while ago and used this technique to tackle a few large areas of gout weed. I used wine/liquor boxes (free from the store) and leaves, dirt, or mulch on top. It took a few seasons, but now my planting beds are gout weed free!
Glad it worked for you! Thanks :)
That's a pretty solid way of dealing with most weeds. Plus, if you can get everything you need for free, WTF wouldn't people do this? This is going to do zero harm round flowering shrubs, fruit trees etc. Fair play to your fellow Canadians for providing this great resource.
Grow potatoes where you have Ground Elder. It doesn't like potatoes and you will have less and less every year. I mow the Ground Elder down and plant the potatoes on the surface and cover them with a thick layer of mulch. As the potatoes grow I continue to add mulch. I have not had any Ground Elder in that area for 2 years now.
Thanks for this! That's awesome when you're starting from scratch, but I let my raised beds go for 2 years and they're completely full of goutweed (ground elder). That's in among my walking onions where I need to plant tomatoes next week. I guess I could do that and just make holes for the tomatoes ... I'll give it a try.
Thank sir. It confirms what I was suspecting. My only issue is that this stuff has found its way in the open spaces under 4 beds of peonies. So there I'm uncertain if I can use paper or carton. But certainly I will use loads of leaf mulch.
tear the paper up and wet it - then you can lay it down like paper mache. You need paper - the goutweed will always find its way through leaves
Great idea. I have a huge section of goutweed mixed with some garlic mustard and nightshade I'd like to get rid of. Thanks for the tip!
Hope it works out great for you!
I was looking for someone from NS that talks about gardening.
You have found him sir!
When we moved into our house, the neighbour's goutweed had spread from their property to my property. Not knowing what it was, I just dug it out, made the garden bigger, and planted some perennials. Over the next couple of years, the goutweed came back worse than ever! It eventually choked out my perennials. I have STRUGGLED for years, trying to eradicate this horrible, evil plant, but it always wins. It has made me hate gardening. I know I shouldn't be so defeatist, but, after so many years of trying to dig it out (many hours of wasted time), I still end up with a "garden" full of goutweed. I'm going to try your method this fall, but I honestly feel like I will never get to the point where the goutweed will be completely gone, and I will be able to have the garden I've always dreamed of. It so frustrating to say the least. Thanks for all the tips!
That's a really tough break you've had there. Using this method it will take about 2 years to eradicate the roots, but it will work if you can thoroughly cover and smother the plants. Good luck :)
@@maritimegardening4887 Thank-you! I will TRY! If it works, I will be so grateful. I will definitely let you know what happens. : )
The Mexican marigold, Tagetes minuta, is known for its herbicidal root secretions that are toxic enough to kill many weeds, including ground elder. I just got some seeds so will give it a try!
This might work on the wild sorrel in my garden.
Also, the funny thing is, the ad at the beginning of this video was for a commercial weedkiller! 🤣
Sorry - I don't choose the ads :)
@@maritimegardening4887 I know 😁
I love this, SO... I was thinking...if I did this, in an area I want to use eventually. So, how long will it take to destroy the goutweed monster? I figure I can make the area look good, as it is the scene outside my sunroom windows. SO I could still have access to pieces appearing, and having to add leaves, etc. If I just put containers of plants, here and there, on top of the bags, and leaves. Does that sound like a good plan? I have tried everything else except burning it.
That's a great idea. You should cover and smother for 2 or 3 years. Every spring watch the area carefully to see if anything shows up. If nothing shows up and it's like May/june - then you've probably eradicated them. Great idea with the pots to use the space in the meantime!
Thanks for sharing! I've also read you can eat it... I may do a combination!
They taste a bit like parsley, but not as good. You can eat them, but there are better things to eat and they will not take over your entire property. I've tried them - nothing to write home about. Eradicate them!!! :)
Maybe a cure for gout? 😁
@@lindasands1433 apparantly not, although the Romans thought so
the young leaves are edible, but nothing special. Older leaves are nasty (and I hear have a laxative property)
Speaking to the comment of the risk of using leaves, I had read that goutweed does not die when composted. I saw proof of this when a work colleague obtained free compost for her vegetable garden from our municipal compost facility, only to have goutweed sprout up in the exact spot. I myself have severe contamination from neighbors on either side of my yard. I want to do the smother and kill method, but if my neighbors do not, what success can I possibly have. They are not interested I have asked. Mind you, if I can even keep it from spreading any further I would be happy.
That's a shame that your neighbours aren't on board. Sounds like it's just something you'll have to mitigate indefinitely. You'll have to maintain a perimeter - i'd say about 2' wide all along the border with your neighbour's lawn, and perpetually re-apply layers to it. What a chore to have to manage that. Other option is sell the house (not much of an option I know :)
This is an obvious question I’m sure but did you pull the goutweed first and dig down and remove the earth or simply start covering and mulching? I’ve got quite a job ahead of me! I see it in some of my grass too.
just cover and smother
@@maritimegardening4887 excellent!!
Looks like you are doing a wonderful job! I hope you eradicate it this time! Have you considered the possibility of getting more gout weed seeds from the bags of leaves? You never know what was growing in the yards where the leaves are from.
Thanks!
I'm trying this method for my goutweed problem. Will this cause any rot/fungi etc issues if the leaves are piled too close to very large trees (E.g. white cedar)? will it "suffocate" the trees' roots too? Is it possible to put too much leaves near the base of the tree?
I think it should be ok - air will still get to the roots - you're just cutting off the sun.
Hi i just watch all 3 videos i dont have gout weed even tho its very common in our landscapes in the netherlands....next to highways farmland roads etc
But i like this method a lot...
1 because you starve and exterminate the plant completely
2 because its free (we dont have baggs like that but i can use cardboard.
3 instead of using harsh chemicals... you mulch and compost in place year after year your enriching the soil and that i like a lot.
And you can always use the spot by placing a pretty planters on the leaves instead of growing someting in the ground.
Yup this goes in my favorites
Ps i did mis the link to all the other videos you made prior to this one. You forgot to place in the description like you said. But anyway i hope next spring its dead as a doornail and then some...
Wish you a great week
Kind regards rose 🌹
We think the same Rose. I like it for all the same reasons! I put the link at the end of the video, not in the description, sorry about that. - g
Maritime Gardening no worries i can look for it but u know Some are lazy and wont look any further. I enjoy your channel a lot i hope to learn a lot more and im shure i will the more i watch.
Kind regards rose 🌹
OK, I put them in the description as well. Thanks for the suggestion :)
Thanks for this advice. I do have a the same blackberry issue in an area I want to garden. Anyone with tips to getting the beds plantable?
Here's an interesting idea I had this summer about that very problem. Its seems to have worked just fine, very easy solution!
ua-cam.com/video/VQZl8yNp7kI/v-deo.html
as you posted this over 3 years ago I wonder if you have any update on how it worked?
It worked completely in one area of the property, and in the other I thought it had worked - because i'd seen nothing for a year, but this spring I noticed just a couple plants growing, roughly at the outer edge of the area I had covered previously. So I've recovered it again. I guess the takeaway is that you should always add 2 feet to the total area covered , just to account for root-spread
@@maritimegardening4887 thanks. I've only recently identified mine, and there's a lot of it I have to deal with. I'd rather not use glysophate if I can help it, so I'm going to try your method. I've just ordered 2 1,000-litre bags of forest bark mulch
how do you stop it when it's adjacent to your neighbour's garden? It's already spread into theirs.
You cant stop it in that case - you can only control and manage it's spread... or move :)
@maritimegardening4887 Oh no! The last owners of my house planted it all along the not long before I bought the place and it choked out everything. I even found a 1m tall rose bush ! Would digging down 2 feet and placing a barrier help?
Goutweed has underground runners. Just wait, it will come up again!
it hasn't. if you repeat for a couple years you will exhaust the rhizomes.
Hi Greg, have you tried this smothering technique on poison ivy? Do you think it would work on that?
No - but I've read that it can work for that too
@@maritimegardening4887 I guess persistence is needed.If you keep covering up anything long enough it'll die
Will this work with thistle? This year it really invaded my small Chicago yard covered in wood chips.
It's worth a try. If the thistle are strong enough to lift the paper, and then you'll need something heavier, like cardboard, and more weight on top.
you can even eat that lol ! en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aegopodium_podagraria
I can't hear you because of the music...so I'm moving along to another video about goutweed.
I hope you get some good advice.
Sheet mulching.
Why not eat it and use it for medicine……..
Because my entire property will be covered in it - and I have other things I'd rather grow. And there is no scientific evidence to support many of the medicinal claims. And - I don't have rheumatoid arthritis, gout, hemorrhoids, or kidney stones - things it's supposed to help. ....But most importantly the first reason.
@@maritimegardening4887 Did someone piss in your coffee? It treats MUCH more than that but…..okay….lol