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Q. "Our townhouse association has a retention pond that usually has some water and is full of cattails -- some members have complained about them. I am looking for a natural solution. Any suggestions about adding plants that compete with them, maintenance involved and/or bushes to plant around the pond? If not, then any info on the benefits of cattails would be helpful. I am gathering info to present all options to the association."
- P. C., Grand Island, NY
A. Cattails are very attractive to birds that stay for the winter. And have you seen red-winged blackbirds flocking in the cattails in the spring? They love them, and other waterfowl do, too. They're a very useful erosion control plant because their roots are excellent at soil stabilization. On the other hand, it's hard to have a diverse pond planting with cattails around. Unfortunately, I know of no plant that competes successfully with them. If you were to start over again, I'd suggest confining them in pots so you can diversify the plant community. I don't know if constructed ponds fall under the category of wetlands in the state's mind, but the Natural Resources Department in your state, which manages wetlands, should also be able to help you with info. In all situations of this sort, the human factor is sometimes the hardest to deal with. If you can, sort out why some of the residents don't like them, and try to find other solutions to solving that problem other than removing the cattails.
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Q. I had a wilt problem last summer in my zone 5 garden. I plan on solarizing it this year but don't know exactly when I should do it. I want to leave enough time to plant some sort of garden this year. I have a problem with the weed purslane and would to know how to get rid of it, too.
- L. S., St. Marys, PA
A. "Solarization requires a long period (weeks or months) of very hot and sunny weather in order to be effective -- it is generally recommended for regions where summers are hotter than your zone 5 locale. However, you may have some success with the procedure. You would need to leave the area covered, and therefore unplanted, through mid summer. This would still give you time to plant some short-season fall crops in that area. Another alternative is to rotate your crops, plant resistant varieties, and be sure to add ample amounts of organic matter to your soil to make it healthier. Or, you can grow a container garden this season.
Weeds can be controlled in a number of ways, but in a vegetable garden you may find it most effective to pull or rake out what you can initially, then cover the soil with a heavy layer of mulch. An organic mulch will also feed the soil as it breaks down."
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Q. What can I do about stinging nettle that has taken over my yard and garden?
- A. L., Salida, CA
A. "Stinging nettles can be tough to deal with in the summertime when the plants are fully grown, but they're not so menacing in the late winter and early spring.
Nettles have little hairs on their leaves and stems that, when touched, release a defensive chemical that causes a numbing, then burning sensation on skin. These herbaceous perennials die down in the winter, but the roots remain alive. If you know where the patch of nettles is, you can dig the roots out now and dispose of them. Or, you can wait until early spring when new shoots emerge and knock them down with a hoe. As long as you keep knocking them down, you'll stay ahead of them. If you wait until they're several feet high you can still remove them, but you'll want to don long sleeves and gloves before getting too close to the plants.
One of the important steps in controlling nettles is to keep them from flowering. Once they flower, they can spill seeds onto the ground. You don't want new little plants cropping up all over! If you regularly knock the new shoots down the roots will eventually run out of energy to produce new shoots and you'll have won the battle."
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Q. I have tried everything to kill johnsongrass in my vegetable garden! What else can I try?
- E. F., Olathe, KS
A. "There are a few ways to deal with johnsongrass. There's an elbow grease option -- dig out as much of the roots as you can. A month later, remove any roots you may have missed, locating them by the little sprouts that arise. Mow any johnsongrass you see elsewhere on your property to keep it from going to seed. Or, cover your garden area for a whole year with clear plastic. The summer sun will cook all the weeds and roots under the plastic, and deprive them of some moisture, too.
Another option is to carpet your garden with landscape fabric, cutting holes in the mulch to plant your vegetables. Use thick straw mulch over the fabric and around your plants. You may have to install drip irrigation to make sure your veggies get adequate moisture."
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Q. We have a small path on one side of the house that borders the neighbor's yard. There are some vines in their yard that grow both through and under our stockade fence, and they have very tiny -- and very painful! -- thorns. They have light green leaves, are not very attractive, and seem to attach themselves to every shrub. They mix in with English Ivy and are extremely difficult to remove completely. What are these things, and how can I rid this walkway of this mess?
- S. G., Bergenfield, NJ
A. Unfortunately, based on your description I am not certain what this plant is. However, there are three approaches to dealing with the encroachment. One would be to talk to your neighbor and see if the vines can be controlled at the source. This would probably be the most effective. The next is to routinely cut the vines at the fence line before they spread further into your property. The third and least desirable approach would be to investigate the local weed ordinances.
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Q. I have tried everything I can think of to get rid of horsetails, from digging them out down to the nub of the root, to herbicides, to just chopping them off. We did a major project on what was a swamp and now the horsetails threaten to take it all back. Someone told me to use diesel fuel, but I don't want to do that. Is there anything that is a little more environmentally friendly but still effective?
- J. C., Puyallup, WA
A. "By all means don't use diesel fuel! Equisetum is the botanical name of the weed that's causing all the frustration for you. It sounds like the area is still moist enough to promote the growth of this wetland plant. Horsetails are a "primitive" plant with a vascular system such that herbicides will only kill the top of the plant, but not travel down to the roots. As you've discovered, the roots can grow both down and sideways for 10 to 12 feet. It's a formidable opponent of more desirable plants in the garden. If you're persistent you can keep the tops of the plants cut down as they sprout, and eventually you'll starve the roots out. Perhaps if you improve the drainage in the area, it will lose its competitive edge against your garden plants.
In lawns, simply mowing the grass at regular intervals is sometimes enough to wipe the horsetails out -- but it can take two or three years. Some gardeners have had success with the flame weeders -- torches designed to burn weeds out of tight place, such as between concrete walkways and driveways. If you use a flamer, you don't need to cremate the weed, just pass the flame over the plant's tissues long enough to heat the fluids, which in turn rupture the leaves and stems. If you're persistent with your eradication treatment, you'll prevail."
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Q. Three years ago we planted one small Mexican primrose (Oenothera) in our garden. Three years later, our garden is over-run with this plant. How do we get rid of this invasive plant? We have tried pulling out the plants but obviously that didn't work. Now the plant is taking over the neighbor's garden.
- A. M., San Diego, CA
A. The most effective means of getting rid of this invasive plant (and many other weeds) is to cut back any and all green parts of the plants. Every time the roots send up shoots, cut them down to ground level. Eventually the roots will run out of energy and will die. If you allow the shoots to develop stems and leaves you'll defeat the purpose because leaves will convert sunlight into energy for the roots. But you will eventually starve out the roots with constant and continual removal of shoots as soon as they appear.
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Q. Creeping charlie is taking over our lawn. Is there anything I can do to eradicate it without resorting to herbicides?
- S. S., Canby, MN
A. Creeping Charlie (Glechoma hederacea) can be a real pest. Many gardeners have had good luck eradicating the plant by mixing 10 ounces 20-Mule Team Borax in 2-1/2 gallons of water and applying the mixture to their lawn. The boron doesn't affect the grass, but overwhelms the roots of creeping Charlie. Cool weather reduces its effectiveness so apply in May when the weather starts to warm. The University of Minnesota and Iowa State University have tested this recipe and report good results.
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Q. I have tried lots of different ways to kill crabgrass but it still comes back in our periwinkle ground cover and travels all over our yard, and into our flowers & vegetables. What can I do?
- P. W., Vacaville, CA
A. This is the type of situation where an ounce of prevention is worth several pounds of cure. It's easier to keep weeds and grasses out of the garden than to get them out once they've established themselves. The safest treatment is to dig the weeds and grass out. Crabgrass is an annual that begins to sprout about the time the forsythia blooms, so one of the best controls is to either cultivate the soil lightly to disturb those seeds (lightly so you don't bring more seeds up near the surface where they'll germinate, too) or to use a layer of mulch to smother them. Another option is to use corn gluten as an herbicide. The gluten releases an enzyme that kills germinating seeds, and at the same time adds nitrogen to your soil.
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Q. Bamboo is taking over my yard. What is the best way to contain this "weed"? (I now know I should have planted it in containers, but it's too late now.)
A. Bamboo spreads by underground stems. Since it was not planted in a container originally some sort of barrier needs to be installed. You will probably have to install metal edging at least one foot deep around the bamboo to keep it contained. It would be best if there was lawn on the other side of the edging, so you can mow down and kill any errant sprouts that come up.
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Q. My wife is very sensitive to poison ivy, but also does not want to use an herbicide. Is there any sort of shrub or ground cover which would choke out the poison ivy? Do you have any suggestions for eradicating it?
- S. A., Leesport, PA
A. "Unfortunately, there is no plant that can out compete the poison ivy. You might be able to smother at least some of it by cutting it off at ground level or digging out what you can, then covering the root area with heavy cardboard or numerous sheets of newspaper, then topping that off with a heavy layer of organic mulch. If it manages to come up through that, cut it off again, then replace the covering. Eventually the root reserves should become exhausted.
There are some new, soap-based herbicides that are considered quite environmentally friendly and safe to use. Avoid using a flame weeder, however, since the smoke from burning poison ivy can be extremely irritating to lungs."
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Q. I have a plant growing rampant in my yard that a friend thinks is deadly nightshade. Is it indeed deadly? If so, how do I remove it? The plant is vine-like with dark, shiny leaves and it wraps around anything it can.
- S.L., Reading, MA
A. "There are many weedy species of the nightshade family. The plant you describe sounds like bittersweet nightshade vine (Solanum dulcamara). It's a trailing or climbing perennial with spreading stems up to 10 feet. Leaves are dark green to sometimes dark purplish, 1 to 4 inches long, often with one to several lobes or leaflets at the base. Flowers are star-shaped, with purple petals and prominent yellow or orange anthers (centers). The flowers are easy to identify because they're so unusual. The flowers then turn into green berries that ripen to red or purplish-black. The colorful berries may attract children, and consumption of many berries can make them ill. Deadly nightshade (Atropa belladonna) does not fit the description you have provided. However, to be on the safe side you may want to bring a sample of the plant to the horticulture specialist at your cooperative extension office for a positive identification. Most weeds can be kept in check with a combination of repeated hand pulling and heavy mulching."
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Q. I recently moved into an older home with a great cobblestone sidewalk in the back garden. However, weeds like to grow between the stones. I hesitate to use an herbicide because I don't want to damage the nearby flowers, which include everything from tea roses to daisies. Any suggestions on how to rid the sidewalk area of the weeds? I once was told that common table salt could be used between the cracks of the stones. Is this a possibility?
- D.J., Vermillion, SD
A. "It sounds like you've inherited a lovely garden retreat! Salt would probably make the soil inhospitable to plants and soil organisms in your walkway, but there may be danger of the salt leaching into the soil and affecting the plants you want to preserve.
How about these alternatives? Some folks like to plant low-growing herbs, such as creeping thyme or dwarf peppermint, between flagstones in a walkway. The herbs grow into a mat, discouraging other plant growth, and as you walk, you're surrounded by the fragrance of the herbs. You could rent or buy a flame weeder, and burn off the weedy growth. You could also clean out the vegetation that is there by using a low-impact, soap-based contact herbicide. The active ingredients are fatty acid salts which kill plant cells on contact, but which do not persist in the environment. Once you weed the area, you could put down a thick layer of bark mulch, sand or other material between the stones to discourage growth in the long term."
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Q. How can I get rid of weeds in my groundcover without damaging the groundcover plants?
- K.W., Long Beach, CA
A. It's amazing how annoyingly tenacious weeds can be! If the weeds you're dealing with are perennials that spread from runners or stolons along or below the ground (e.g., Bermuda grass or nut grass), you'll need to pull them out and mulch heavily under the ground cover with organic matter such as wood chips. You can repeatedly cut them off to keep them under control, but, unfortunately, you'll need to be very diligent because they usually pop up elsewhere. Herbicides probably won't work in your situation, because the weeds are intermixed with your plants. The herbicide won't distinguish between the plants you want vs. the plants you don't! If the weeds in your groundcovers are coming up from seed, then you might want to try a pre-emergent herbicide made from corn gluten. Corn gluten produces an enzyme that kills germinating seedlings.
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Q. I planted a wildflower garden by tossing seeds in a former vegetable garden about 3 years ago. The first year the garden looked beautiful, but now grass is taking over. Also, many of the flower varieties did not return and I would like to add more to them. Can I just toss a few more containers of wildflower seed around and hope they take? Or should I just till the entire area again and replant?
- M.B., Howell, MI
A. "Wildflower meadows are not maintenance-free although that is the impression that many people have. It's important to pull grass as soon as you see it, before it spreads or goes to seed. Also, be sure that the mix you plant is 100 percent flower seed, with no grass fillers.
Some grasses spread by runners; tilling can chop up the runners, actually creating more plants. Before tilling, cover the area with a thick mulch of newspaper or cardboard to deprive the runners of light, and they should die in a month or so. Then till the area, water it, wait two weeks, and till again to remove germinating weed seeds. Then plant the wildflower seed.
Generally, it can take several years to establish a wildflower area because some plants will return more vigorously than others, just as in nature. You need to (1) keep after the weeds, and (2) thin out the more vigorous wildflowers that you have too many of, and (3) continue to re-sow for variety. Follow the directions on the seed package; most meadows should be mown yearly to help disperse the annual seed."
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Q. There's an invasive volunteer vine in my yard. It grows from a single 1/2-inch-diameter stem and produces lemon-size spiny green fruit. The bottom of the fruit opens by peeling back to reveal 4 chambers, each containing 1 or 2 large, green to black seeds the size of small olives. Sometimes the seeds have a white covering which dries and falls off. What is this plant, and will it harm the shrubs on which it is growing?
- A.M., La Crescenta, CA
A. What you're describing sounds like Western wildcucumber (Marah oreganus), a perennial regenerating from an enormous taproot. The stem is long, thick, angled, and trailing or climbing. Leaves are stalked, blades lobed, roughened, and sometimes reaching 6 inches or more in length and width. Flowers are waxy-white and somewhat star-shaped. The fruit is gourd-like, several inches long, fleshy and spiny. Wildcucumber is native to the western U.S. and Canada, and is also known as bigroot, manroot, old-man-in-the-ground, and Echinocystis oregana. It's harmless to your plants, but it's not the kind of invasive plant you'll want to allow to grow in your yard. Trace the vines back to the root and dig it out -- while you still can!
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Q. How can I control bindweed in my flower beds?
- M.C., Sedgwick, KS
A. "Bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis -- also known as wild Morning Glory or creeping Jenny) is indeed a nasty weed in the garden. However, it can be eradicated from the garden with persistence. Pulling on a weekly basis will eventually wear out the roots. Don't allow it to get out of control, and never ever allow it to flower and produce seeds. Mulching heavily will also help."
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