Invasion of a garden snatchers?
What?s spreading all over and how to get rid of them
There are some plants that should be banned. This makes people mad but the two shown here are toxic beauties. Though they seem harmless enough, they are not. Plant such as goutweed and Himalyan balsam are attractive but they will spread everywhere under any soil and light conditions.? Goutweed has a root run of up to 20M (not exaggerating) and it will continue to spread under sidewalks, roads, rock and any other impediment only to pop up metres away.
Goutweed especially is often used by landscapers to cover up slopes to prevent erosion, or to grow in dry shade or simply to fill in space. Resist all these temptations?there are always other better plants. I saw a neighbours planting it a few years ago and begged him not to. When I explained why, he said ?Good I want it to cover all this up.? He pointed to a hopeless bit of earth under a tree. Well it?s covered that up and is coming up and will soon take over three neighouring gardens. If it gets into my own complicated garden, I?m a gonner. My life will be turned over to goutweed eradication.
The problem with these invasive plants is that you just can?t get rid of them. They have no enemies, they will elbow everything else out of the way. I know people who?ve been at it for decades and still keep finding little bits that, if left alone, will spread once again. If you start dumping chemicals all over them, you run the risk of despoiling everything else around.
If I sound angry I am.
Nurseries still sell goutweed without warnings that they should ONLY be used in containers. It?s hard enough gardening in a cold climate without these bruisers making it even more difficult. Out with the invasives.
You must be patient and you have years of work ahead if you are lumped with these toxic beauties. And warn anyone else you see with them in their gardens. Only constant vigilance will help us get rid of these pests.