How to Get Rid of Creeping Charlie in Your Yard
Warning
Although broadleaf herbicides will not harm your lawn, they will affect nearby flowering plants and shrubs. For garden infestations, treat the creeping charlie only with natural methods such as weeding and mulching.
Creeping charlie, or ground ivy, is a perennial creeper vine with a reputation for invasiveness. Although some homeowners may value its aromatic foliage and green to purple color variations, most lawn care experts consider creeping charlie to be an invasive weed that is best dealt with through eradication rather than cultivation. As with other weeds, creeping charlie is a resilient and persistent pest. However, diligence in treatment will eliminate creeping charlie from your yard so that your other desirable plants will flourish.
Trim the shrubs or trees around the infested area. Creeping charlie is a shade-dwelling plant that does not survive well in direct sunlight.
Remove as much of the creeping charlie as possible through regular weeding. Attempt to pull out the root of the vine to restrict future regrowth. For stubborn areas, go over the area with a hand cultivator tool or weeder to remove as much of the root as possible.
Apply a broadleaf herbicide to areas where weeding has not been effective. Choose an herbicide with either dicamba (3, 6-dichloro-o-anisic acid), triclopyr or 2, 4-DP as a listed ingredient; these herbicides are especially effective for killing creeping charlie, but they do not damage lawns. The ideal time to apply the herbicide is after the first autumn frost or immediately after the vine has flowered.
Cover the treated area with mulch to prevent regrowth. If you are treating your lawn, heavily soil and seed the area to establish grass before the creeping charlie has a chance to regrow.
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Writer Bio
Hannah Wahlig began writing and editing professionally in 2001. Her experience includes copy for newspapers, journals and magazines, as well as book editing. She is also a certified lactation counselor. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from Mount Holyoke College, and Master's degrees in education and community psychology from the University of Massachusetts.
