Eradication

As the last post was about relocating plants to a more favorable environment, I thought it might be a good time for a word about another gardening chore: eradication. Most of the time this involves hand pulling weeds in the yard or smothering them with mulch in beds. And even though I consider myself an organic gardener, I am not adverse to using glyphosate (generic Round-Up) which has low toxicity and breaks down rapidly. I use it to prep lawn areas before planting grass plugs, and in woodland areas to kill plants like poison ivy and smilax-a thorny vine that is impossible to pull. None of these methods has been successful in eradicating the plant pictured above-Oxalis. This weed has been my nemesis for nearly ten years because it is so equipped to procreate. It reproduces in two ways. If it is allowed to flower it will reseed, but it doesn't just drop it's seeds, it launches them as if they were spring-loaded, many feet away. In my case, all over the backyard lawn, although I've seen it show up in many areas of the property, some over 50 yards away from it's original location. Oxalis grows from a bulb, hand pulling only breaks it's stems and the plant produces even more "bulblets" to compensate. Glyphosate seems to bead up and roll off it's leaves, but will eventually kill it with several applications. This is not an option in the lawn where the grass would also succumb, or in and near the vegetable garden. The only way I've been able to partially eliminate this plant is by digging it up. Even this is difficult as the bulbs are deep, 6" or more, and if you don't get the trowel under the bulb the stems break off and the bulb is lost in the ground to reproduce. After ten years of not allowing this evil plant to go to seed, and digging up bulbs, I am just now to the point of only digging up a few a week.

How did this insidious plant come into my life? It was attached to a purchased nursery plant (very common) and as a neophyte gardener, I liked it's magenta blossoms and attractive blue green clover like leaves. I encouraged it. My bad. I've actually seen this in reputable local nurseries around Saint Patrick's Day sold as "Shamrock Plant". Shame on them.