Shovels work good. I have some persistant goutweed that only only responds to shovel pruning. When you use the shovel you shouldn't knock any loose dirt off the plant because it can contain little tiny root pieces which will regrow.

Good luck with your weeds.

Buy a new house. I feel your pain. I would Round up the whole area, and then do it again in 2-3 weeks. If it's in beds, then I'd plant what I want in there and mulch the heck out of the rest of it. Then go on Charlie Patrol 2-3x weekly to pluck out any sprouts. Good luck.

Martha

cAROL, I've never tried this method myself but I think I am going to try it this week on my beds. Who knows, it just may work so I'm going to give it a try because I just happen to have a box of borax in my laundry pantry.

Mary

Here is a link that might be useful: Creeping Charlie

Hi Mary,ya know, I did read up on using Borax,as I also have some in house, But, it can remain in your soil,FOREVER,and nothing else will EVER grow there.
Be careful using it will you.
I am pulling and pulling,there is a product I may try,can't remember the name at the moment,but if you can wait, I will let you know if it works,oh,and the name of it.:0)
Thanks for the suggestion.
cAROL

I have a bed full of this crap too, BUT it is in and around my peonies, some favorite irises and some tulips. I keep pulling and digging, but it's still there. Hopefully someone will know something that works!

Jenny P

I do not have Creeping Charlie, but I did have a similar weedy grass that would increase the more I tried digging it out. I made the mistake of trying a rototiller on the area and it also made it worse. You just can't see all the little white tiny pieces of root to pull them out. It was in my vegetable bed area and was driving me so crazy I stopped vegetable gardening for a couple of years. I am an organic gardener and I wouldn't use any chemicals on it. Then I decided to try another route. I put down clear plastic over the whole area and left it there for a whole year. It helped that it was a hot dry year. Finally, I got rid of like 95% of it. I still get a little of it in places where it was shadier, the solarization technique didn't work as well in the shade.

As for having any invasive mixed in with other plants, I tried lifting and moving a couple of favorite plants with good inspection of the root ball, but it didn't work, some of it came with the plant. I only did that once and never again. I found I would rather lose a favorite plant then risk battling another invasive in a new area.

When it becomes necessary to use chemicals to kill weeds I use roundup-either concentrated, which will kill vigorous vines like Japanese bittersweet or Virginia creeper, or roundup for weeds and/or poison ivy. It's not an easy process, but put a bowl of the concentrated roundup in a small container, then put this container into a bigger tote, bucket or other larger vessel so that if you drip any it goes into the bigger bucket, not on your other plants. Use a small paint or pastry brush to apply the roundup. Wherever you pull the weed out you brush the roundup on the cut/broken end. It kills the plant down to the roots.

I learned this in a landscaping class. We worked in teams with one person down low, the other person had the brush taped to a long handle so they did not have to bend over. Person 1 went snip, snip, snip, pull, pull, pull, person 2 did brush, brush, brush, brush, brush,...then on to the next section. By keeping our motions the same and repetitive we were able to work quickly without the up and down, or switching from one tool to the other, and cleared entire beds in short time. Within a week after application the entire beds wee clear of weed. Just b\make sure you only apply the liquid to the cut ends, and no where else.

I hope this helps! Good luck.

Here's what I would do - mow or weed-whack the Creeping Charlie down as low as possible (removing the foliage weakens the plant) and then lay down double or triple layers of cardboard and cover with mulch or leaves. Be sure to overlap the paper thoroughly. Let it sit and check periodically for die off. I have killed large patches of Vinca minor this way, which is also a very vigorous ground cover.

Black plastic will probably work. I find plastic a little more difficult to use, because it has to be removed and it can puncture leaving little holes for the weed to grow through, and it is more unsightly. Also the worms LOVE the paper and will enrich the soil, whereas plastic will not.

My unpopular opinion is to leave it - that is, unless you need the same area for planting. Creeping Charlie actually looks quite pretty, and is a useful medicinal plant.

Otherwise, you could try covering it with thick cardboard and mulch for a season?