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Message started by Dave on 10/04/16 at 03:39:20

Title: Creeping Charlie
Post by Dave on 10/04/16 at 03:39:20

I just wanted to share this with you folks, and maybe save you a lot of time/money.

A few years ago Creeping Charlie showed up in my yard. I made some attempts to control it - but the Weed N Feed products don't seem to have any affect on it, and even Round Up doesn't seem to kill it completely (but it did kill the grass). The Creeping Charlie sends out runners/vines, and if you cut or break the vine it then starts growing out the broken ends that are left in the ground - so you end up with 2 new runners instead of the single one that you cut.

Unfortunately I didn't take the weed seriously - and I now have several acres of it in my lawn. The stuff is taking over my lawn and killing all my grass. In one area I stopped mowing hoping that the long grass would choke out the Creeping Charlie - but unfortunately that didn't happen and the Creeping Charlie is doing just fine (I will try burning off that field next spring and see if that works).

I have finally found a way to beat the weed - but it is going to be a long fight. First you mix 4-5 ounces of 20 Mule Team Borax in each gallon of water and spray it on the Creeping Charlie. I use a measuring cup and even using hot water I can't seem to get more than 4 ounces to dissolve in each gallon of water. I have a 5 gallon plastic jug to mix the water and Borax, and I shake the mixing bottle after adding hot water - then pour the liquid into the sprayer and leave any unmixed Borax in the bottom of the bottle. The Borax is not toxic to most things and won't hurt most grass - the Creeping Charlie has a low threshold for Borax, and in a few days the leaves will turn yellow/brown as the plant is weakened. The next step is to mix the Purple label Weed B Gon and spray the ivy again. This will kill most of the Ivy, and whatever grass has not been killed by the Creeping Charlie will most likely survive. The websites claim that fall is the best time to kill the Ivy, and I have also read that it is effective when the purple flowers are on the Ivy in the spring.

If you see this in your yard - don't ignore it. Your fight will be much easier and less expensive if you start right away before the crap takes over your yard, garden or landscaping. If I had gone after this weed when I first saw it - it would have taken a few days to win the battle.....I anticipate that my current 3 acre crop will take me a year or more and several hundred dollars worth of Borax/Weed B Gon to kill!

http://i64.tinypic.com/ogcrhy.jpg

Title: Re: Creeping Charlie
Post by Gary_in_NJ on 10/04/16 at 05:33:04

Dave, I feel your pain. I'm in a similar position with something called Autumn Olive. It's weed that poses as a beautiful sapling and then grows out to the sides rather then up. Worse, it also has sharp thorns.

It's evasive and is taking over several acres of open pasture that I have. I've tried cutting it, Round Up...even fire. It always comes back. I may rent a D5 in the spring and just remove everything standing.

Title: Re: Creeping Charlie
Post by BSTON on 10/04/16 at 07:22:54

Well crap. I have that in my yard and it's definitely spreading. I sprayed some of the standard weed killer on it this year and it seems to kill a lot of it but after a wet month here it's back just as bad.

Title: Re: Creeping Charlie
Post by Dave on 10/04/16 at 07:36:03

4B5A5D4647090 wrote:

Yep....it comes back with an "attitude" - go get the Purple Label Weed B Gone - HURRY!

Title: Re: Creeping Charlie
Post by BSTON on 10/04/16 at 07:58:06

After reading up on it a little, it seems like this is about the right time of the year to attack it. I guess I know what I get to do with my weekend. >:(

Title: Re: Creeping Charlie
Post by stewmills on 10/04/16 at 08:42:28

When I read the title I thought this was going to be a Vietnam war story. :-?

Title: Re: Creeping Charlie
Post by verslagen1 on 10/04/16 at 08:46:28

121504160C080D0D12610 wrote:

When I read the title I thought this was going to be a Vietnam war story. :-?

It might be... most of the south is covered... trees and all by it.
And it was imported from vietnam.

Title: Re: Creeping Charlie
Post by Dave on 10/04/16 at 08:58:52

Versy....I think you are talking about Kudzu!

It is a whole lot meaner than Creeping Charlie. Kudzu is in Kentucky - but it has not gotten this far north yet.

Title: Re: Creeping Charlie
Post by verslagen1 on 10/04/16 at 09:34:31

yup, you're right. kudzu. we don't have it, not enough water I suppose.
We have this yellow parasite vine that grows over the top of bushes.

I believe it's this stuff...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuscuta

Title: Re: Creeping Charlie
Post by Kris01 on 10/04/16 at 17:14:58

If we didn't have Kudzu down here I believe the South would probably wash into the Gulf. I think it holds this part of the planet together! :-?

Title: Re: Creeping Charlie
Post by Art Webb on 10/05/16 at 10:23:04

will the creeping charlie kill off traditional weeds, is it low ground cover like clover? I might welcome something like that ;D
or maybe what i'm thinking is clover is creeping charlie, I don't know plants
the neighbors horses like it!

Title: Re: Creeping Charlie
Post by sjaskow - FSO on 10/05/16 at 10:28:08

594A4C4F5D5A5A380 wrote:

This https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glechoma_hederacea is Creeping Charile. It's a nasty stinky ivy that makes purple flowers. You are supposed to be able to use the flowers to make tea but I've never tried it.

Title: Re: Creeping Charlie
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 10/05/16 at 11:12:06

Take a nap in the yard and never be seen again.

Title: Re: Creeping Charlie
Post by Dave on 10/05/16 at 12:33:00

I can't take a nap in my yard....the new puppy won't allow it.

You lay down in the grass......and suddenly you become a chew toy!

Title: Re: Creeping Charlie
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 10/05/16 at 12:56:27

I've had worse jobs.
Surely Lilly is past that stage,, you got Another dog to spoil?

Title: Re: Creeping Charlie
Post by BSTON on 10/05/16 at 13:07:38

3D2E282B393E3E5C0 wrote:

will the creeping charlie kill off traditional weeds, is it low ground cover like clover? I might welcome something like that ;D

I go back and forth with this all the time. I want a nice yard for the kids to play in, and of course I like it to look clean and orderly.

On the flip side, I hate cutting the grass and/or paying someone else to cut it. Then to spend more money on weed killers and fertilizers that are just going to make it grow faster? Add on to that how bad a lot of those fertilizers are for the environment and water supplies and it's just plain stupid.

I'm ready for some fake turf.

Title: Re: Creeping Charlie
Post by verslagen1 on 10/05/16 at 14:10:50

283B3D3E2C2B2B490 wrote:

Not clover

Quote:

Glechoma hederacea is toxic to cattle and horses

I believe I have a few of these popping up, I have been pulling them out.

Title: Re: Creeping Charlie
Post by Dave on 10/05/16 at 17:45:05

7E6167607D7A4B7B4B73616D26140 wrote:

Surely Lilly is past that stage,, you got Another dog to spoil?

Lily is still full of energy.....and loves to play really hard. She is still dragging sticks out of the woods, and converted them to mulch on our porch.

Title: Re: Creeping Charlie
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 10/06/16 at 05:30:18

Ohh, such Fun! She should be big enough by now to mulch a pretty fat stick and make about a pound a day..
Bag it and sell it?

Title: Re: Creeping Charlie
Post by Dave on 10/06/16 at 09:21:26

Yep.....she has moved up to the Big Sticks!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7YSeAJpXDg

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7YSeAJpXDg[/media]

Title: Re: Creeping Charlie
Post by Ruttly on 10/06/16 at 10:00:01

3 acres will take a lot of gun powder !

Title: Re: Creeping Charlie
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 10/06/16 at 13:15:26

Daaang! She has grown... And I've seen some dogs chew sticks, but that's Not a Stick. I know, nobody Really knows how big an island has to be before it's called a continent, though I suspect it is more about the Earths mantle than size, nobody Really knows the difference between a Stick and a limb, but that's a limb..
I said so.
She looks like a happy dawg..

Title: Re: Creeping Charlie
Post by Ruttly on 10/06/16 at 15:10:44

Dave Your place is beautiful ! I would love to live there it's so green !