What an we do about our Dead Yard and Goutweed? Help!!!
by
Gwen
+8
Hello, everyone - I have a really dead yard thanks the Big dog. I have plans for a shed left back and a dog deck in the back right corner But my help is needed on what to do with the 2 dog run areas. should i use rocks or maybe a fake wood Bridge look. But my Biggest problem is in the front 2 flower beds (no pics) still covered in snow are infested with something called Gout-weed, how do i get rid of it with out sending $$$$$ a lot of $$$. I already have to buy 12-16 pots for the (6)Hosta's, the Fern being chocked out by this weed and other beautiful shade plants as i do not want to kill them? HELP! Here are photos of my wonderful back yard! My little pup loves digging. I would really like to spend just a little on the back yard to as i need to fix the deck this year.
Thank you Gwen from Edmonton, Alberta Canada
It is work intensive to get rid of Gout Weed. If it is in the alley way or your neighbor's yard you are going to have to put a barrier between your yard and what is not your property or the Gout Weed will come right back. Start in a corner and dig about a foot deep, then sift the soil. Place the soil back in the hole and throw all of the rhizomes and roots away. Work fast because Gout Weed loves nothing better than to spread while you're not looking. Leave one rhizome and you will have the same problem all over again in no time.
You must train your dogs to a play zone and then another potty zone. The play zone should have sand so that they can dig there without getting into trouble. I trained my dogs by burying a few dog treats there every night for a couple of weeks and then randomly for a few months. They had to sit in the corner if they dug anywhere else. They learned.
If you put gravel on the dogs running path 2 things are going to happen. The dogs will change the path and soon you will have gravel everywhere in your yard. Put down some pavers where your dogs run and then use the center section as a dog garden. Planting some sturdy bushes to give the dogs some shade and a small fountain for you too look at and they can drink from.
It took ten years to remove Gout Weed from my garden! If anyone gives you a plant, check 4 Gout Weed. The only way in Ontario is by digging it out and throwing the dirt away. As soon as u see if returning dig it up and throw it away. Do not put it in the composter!
If it is a favourite plant, put it in a bucket of water and soak all the soil away, them carefully separate roots and rinse away soil. Plant in new location, good luck.
IF A PLANTS NAME HAS WEED IN IT, YOU DON'T WANT IT!
BUGLE WEED HAS A REALLY NICE FLOWER, BUT DON'T USE IT!
Yes now i know Gave some to my Sister-in-law last year because she was excited it was Jacobs ladder - we told her to get it out of her yard now that i know what it is.
Good luck. Please publish a photo when you are done. I think your yard has a lot of potential and I would like to see the final 'Done It!' photo.
Step 1Pull up goutweed by hand. Use a tiller or shovel to uproot the plant and its rhizomes. The best time to do this is early spring before its foliage has had a chance to feed its rhizomes and facilitate its re-growth. Spread any uprooted plants out in the sun and allow them to dry out for a few days before you throw them away.Step 2Mow goutweed repeatedly. Like hand pulling, this will kill the foliage before it has a chance to feed its rhizomes. It may take several seasons to kill the goutweed completely, but it will stop its spread in the mean time.Step 3Spray goutweed with a herbicide prescribed for use on this plant, such as glyphosate. The best time to spray goutweed with herbicide is when it re-grows after being physically culled by mowing or hand pulling. When the new growth is sprayed, the herbicide is much more likely to be delivered to the underground rhizomes. Follow the manufacturer's instructions when mixing and applying the herbicide. Check that any herbicide you use is safe for neighboring desirable plants.Step 4Replace goutweed with another ground cover that will grow successfully in your area. This will keep the goutweed or any other invasive plants from establishing themselves in the area.Step 5Monitor the previously infested patch. Any shoots that pop up should be uprooted and discarded as soon as possible.
I get a lot of different types of weeds where I live, and recently my neighbor got Creeping Charlie in his yard, and it is now trying to grown under my fence. I got tired of buying herbicides to kill weeds, or using vinegar, so I now use 2 different methods to kill any hard growing weeds that try to grow in my yard. . This is what I do:
1. I turn on my BBQ grill and put on a 5 qt. pan filled with hot water, then put a lid on it, and bring the water to a boil. Using a scoop, I pour the boiling water over the weeds. You can tell several hours later that they are dying. If they are not dead within 2 days, I pour more boiling water over them. This is the cheap way to kill weeds.
2. My second way to kill heavy duty weeds is to spray bleach on them. That kills them good. Just pour bleach into a spray bottle or pump bottle and spray them really good.
I haven't done this, but you can buy a garden torch that uses the small containers of propane, and it lets you burn the weeds. I'm thinking about getting one of those myself. Menards sells them.
I read that one woman got gout weeds from taking over her yard by making the entire yard a cement patio. Nothing can grow thru cement, LOL good luck girl! Maybe you could make your dog runs, with cement, where the grout weeds is growing?
Weeds will find a way to grow through concrete or cement. All it needs is a teeny-tiny crack or pock and it wil get through.
I was thinking of the cement too as an option, as I have used that in the past (but ) it didn't get rid of the smell in between the cracks, small mostly. My husband is a painter and he suggested using a primer and it worked very well. No smell nice and clean. Easy to pick up the poop.