Taming the Tenacious Perennial Weeds

Guess what? My three year old came up to me last week and said ‘look dad I have a flower for you’ and I had to pretend I was pleased to be presented with some clover. That sent me down yet another rabbit hole, and I’ve learned some nifty tricks for dealing with those pesky perennial weeds!

While annual weeds can usually be kept in check with a good hoeing and some mulch, perennials are a whole different beast. They grow strong and fast, so we need to up our game to get rid of them.

These perennials can range from wildflowers like spear thistle, valerian, and celandines to more decorative troublemakers like goldenrod, curled tansy, and some grasses. It turns out, you can’t always predict which weeds will become a problem since it depends a lot on the soil and environment.

Identifying and Tackling Weeds by Their Roots

One cool thing I found out is that you can identify perennial weeds by their root types and tackle them accordingly. Here’s the scoop:

Tap Roots

So, dandelions, dock, and thistles have these thick tap roots that dig deep for moisture. The best way to deal with them? Use a daisy grubber or an old knife to yank out the roots from lawns and pavements. If you prefer, you can also spot-treat the leaves with weedkiller.

Dense Mats

I discovered that grasses, nettles, and yarrow spread by forming dense mats under the soil. To get rid of these, you need a spade or fork to lift them out, making sure to remove all the roots – even the tiniest bit can regrow! Or you can water the area with a homemade weed killer solution.

Woody Scrub

Brambles, sycamore, and ivy are part of what’s called ‘woody scrub’. These guys can quickly establish robust roots. For young plants, dig them out, and for established ones, cut down stems and new growth to starve the roots. Another option is to spot-treat new growth with a brushwood killer.

Deep Roots

Horsetail has some of the deepest roots, reaching more than a meter down! To tackle this, you need to clear the ground and cover the soil with black polythene for two years to deprive them of light. And apparently, weedkillers don’t work on these. Oh, and Japanese knotweed? That’s a whole other level – you might need to call in professionals for that one.

Bulbil-type Roots

Weeds like lesser celandine, oxalis, ransomes, and Spanish bluebells spread through small bulbils. Regularly hoe off their leaves before they flower, or cover the soil with black polythene from March to June to keep them from growing.

Creeping Roots

Common lawn weeds like chickweed, clover, couch grass, creeping buttercup, and speedwell have creeping roots. Here’s what you do: rake the lawn to lift the creeping stems, then mow it twice in opposite directions. Raise the mower blades so the longer grass can shade out the weeds.

Brittle Roots

Lastly, weeds with brittle roots, such as bindweed, ground elder, creeping thistle, herb Robert, and willowherb, break easily and can regrow from the smallest pieces. Dig up these plants and sieve the soil to remove all the roots. Keep removing new foliage to weaken the roots, or spot-treat new shoots with weedkiller.

Isn’t this fascinating? With these tips in hand, we can take on those stubborn perennial weeds and reclaim our gardens! Happy weeding… kind of!