any gardeners out there?

[justamouse]

I inherited a huge herb garden with our new house. Now, I'm not new to gardening, but this one is stumping me and frustrating me beyond words.

 

The last owner must have planted these little allium. They almost look like chives, the head is bigger and white and the flowers smell like honey-but they have taken OVER the garden and they do NOT come up easily, if at all. AND, the worst, ist hat they smell like garlic! I call it my vampire garden because you can't step anywhere (they've overtaken the brick paths) without the whole place smelling like garlic! And whent hey all bloom, it smells like honey. :001_huh:

 

They are pushing the *mint* out. :confused:

 

I'm >.< this close to ripping out the whole danged thing and starting over. Has anyone dealt with these before or know what to do?

[Peela]

Perhaps rather than ripping the whole lot out you could spend 10 miniutes a day working on it? Just do one small section at a time. Eventually you would get there...and you would get to spend 10 minutes a day in your garden.

Sounds wonderful...a large herb garden.

[justamouse]

Perhaps rather than ripping the whole lot out you could spend 10 miniutes a day working on it? Just do one small section at a time. Eventually you would get there...and you would get to spend 10 minutes a day in your garden.

Sounds wonderful...a large herb garden.

 

I attacked it for a few good hours today, but those little bulbs just don't come out when you tug. And the roots are worse than tangled spaghetti. I was able to lift up some if the dirt was a deep loose spot but other than that, they pop off at the bottom and the roots and corm, maybe not a bulb? stay there.

 

It's a beautiful vampire garden! :D

[datgh]

Try laying black plastic over them. It may take a while and not look pretty but it just might smother them out. Another option might be Round-up. You could paint it on the plants to only get rid of what you want to but if you are eating the herbs read the label carefully.

[laughing lioness]

If they are pushing mint out of the way I'd do the drastic thing and black plastic the area.

[justamouse]

If they are pushing mint out of the way I'd do the drastic thing and black plastic the area.

 

I think you are right. I should do this soon, too, so they'll be dead by spring?

[MomsintheGarden]

If the leaves are flat, then it's probably garlic chives. Cut off all of the pretty white flower heads before they go to seed. If there isn'tanything else there but those, I recommend smothering them with several layers of newspaper covered with mulch if digging them is too much. If ther are many other plants you want to keep, then digging them bit by bit would probably be best.

 

Enjoy your garden!

[MBM]

Do a search for wild garlic and see if it's that. I had a small patch which was surprisingly difficult to remove. They're tenacious little buggers.

[just Jenny]

I use vinegar in my garden to kill some persistent thistles, which are so hard to dig out because their roots break off easily and then they grow again.

 

Vinegar works great. Because it is edible, I am not afraid to store it in my house, or use it in the garden.

 

It is also very cheap: a gallon bottle at the supermarket costs less than 3 dollars.

 

good luck!

[Luckymama]

Are the stems solid or hollow? There are wild garlic and wild onion "grasses" which are horribly invasive yet attractive weeds.

 

We get the wild garlic version (hollow stem) here, though there could be regional differences as with any common-name plant. I can only pull them, with the help of a trowel or fork, when the ground has been soaked by a good rain. It it's truly invasive in a bed, you'll need to solarize the ground with plastic until spring, maybe even longer depending on how much sun you get.

[justamouse]

If the leaves are flat, then it's probably garlic chives. Cut off all of the pretty white flower heads before they go to seed. If there isn'tanything else there but those, I recommend smothering them with several layers of newspaper covered with mulch if digging them is too much. If ther are many other plants you want to keep, then digging them bit by bit would probably be best.

 

Enjoy your garden!

 

Hmmm no, not flat, but hollow. I've promised myself that I will label all plantings for any people that come after me in this house. ;)

 

I have gorgeous others, salvias, thyme, oregano, sage, lemon balm and an apple tree I'm attempting to espallier. :glare: And the wild and wooly mints which I hack and make teas with (hosta, arborvitae and hydrangeas, too). I could do the newspaper/mulch, yes, and that would be a little easier than black plastic. Thank you!

 

I use vinegar in my garden to kill some persistent thistles, which are so hard to dig out because their roots break off easily and then they grow again.

 

Vinegar works great. Because it is edible, I am not afraid to store it in my house, or use it in the garden.

 

It is also very cheap: a gallon bottle at the supermarket costs less than 3 dollars.

 

good luck!

 

Ohh I have some--I'm going to go try this now.

 

Are the stems solid or hollow? There are wild garlic and wild onion "grasses" which are horribly invasive yet attractive weeds.

 

We get the wild garlic version (hollow stem) here, though there could be regional differences as with any common-name plant. I can only pull them, with the help of a trowel or fork, when the ground has been soaked by a good rain. It it's truly invasive in a bed, you'll need to solarize the ground with plastic until spring, maybe even longer depending on how much sun you get.

 

 

They are hollow and this may be the route I have to take. These things seems dead, and then spring back.