That? See that?!?! That, my friends, is "Creeping Charlie". To paraphrase my friend Mid-Town circa last year: "If it wasn't for the crabgrass and Creeping Charlie, I wouldn't have a very green lawn". Ain't that the truth.
This invasive bastard came around last year and like a demonic vine that spreads subterraneanly it has taken root and stayed. It pops up between my border stones. Gets into the garden. Chokes out all grass seed I plant. And is seemingly impervious to taunts, curses, and the elements. (Seriously. After raking, this was all that was green under the dead bed of leaves.)
I need an old priest and a young priest.
Or better still, someone with agri-knowledge that doesn't revolve around tilling up my entire lawn, hiring an expensive lawn-service to come out, or requires "bleach-killing" my grass and soil and doing an entire re-plant. So, to all my 2 readers out there- If there is someone with more knowledge than I, I bow to your superior wisdom and humbly request your advice. Even respond on Facebook if you can't do it here. I f#cking hate Creeping Charlie and I if there is one thing I take pride in like a Midwestern Hank Hill- It's my lawn. It's big. And I want it comfy beneath the toes.
That said, I had a big sprout-a-ganza this weekend. Moda posted pics already of the two rows of garlic bulbs for the viewing public. Here, you get a sneak peek of my early-season pride-N-joys:
(Tulips. Or as I call it, "Holland East". The bulbs were a gift from my folks when I first moved in. As much as I don't like'em- They have the staying power of lilacs and brown-out and die after a few weeks- I don't have the heart to uproot them out of honoring my folks. I'll post more when they blossom)
(CROCUS! Please, stop forking your fingers and banging your head. This is NOT the hair-band. Again, more bulbs from da'. The crokes are pretty, but I have these lame green spriggens that don't do anything. I uprooted a few last season, but the rest come back. No hate here. I just think they're dumb)
(Trap door bun-buns. Okay, so I finished the initial raking and thatching of the back-40, and while getting around the base of the tree I found a suspicious clump of dead grass and hair that started to come up like a cork...and then a little gray leg started kicking in the air. I cussed, jumped back, looked in my raked pile to make sure no bodies came up with my effort, and carefully stuffed it back in place. As much as I hate the buns around the garden, I hadn't the heart to flush'em out, fill the hole, or do much of anything except wet my pants. Over bunnies. Because I'm a bad-ass, weightlifting, distance running, martial artsing, lawn-raking cream-puff sissy.)
(These will be the peonies...which will grow, get too heavy, fall over, and die. The end. Circle of Life. Elton John can't write this.)
1 comment:
Here's what I know that doesn't involve an old priest and a young priest or a lawn company.
Creeping Charlie is a shade loving plant. If it continues to choke out your grass, that part of your lawn may be two shady for grass. So, you will need to look at planting other types of shade loving perennials or trimming your trees and bushes strategically to allow more sun.
Once you've done that step, look for a weed killer containing dicamba or triclopyr. (I just looked those up to see what kills CC) It works best if first applied after the first frost of autumn when the plant has gone dormant to store nutrients for the winter, with a second application in spring after flowering. If you want to get cracking asap, you need to let it flower, then hit it with the herbicide. Once it dies, dig it up and dispose of it. You will then want to beef up your soil with some nutrient rich compost and seed. Note that it takes time to eradicate it. Giving it more sun helps speed the process.
In your garden beds, you just have to weed, weed, weed. Make sure the plants you have in the beds are ideal to the amount of light/shade you get. The better the conditions for the plants, the more they will help choke out the CC.
Good luck!
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