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Ground elder removal
Not sure how to get rid of Ground elder? We’re here to help with advice and cost-effective Ground elder removal & treatment methods for residential and commercial sites.
Why should you get rid of Ground elder?
While it’s not illegal to have Ground elder on your property, is highly invasive and can quickly dominate gardens, outcompeting other plants. Its vigorous growth and extensive root system make it difficult to control once established. If left unchecked, it can take over large areas, crowding out desirable plants.
Due to its deep and spreading root system, ground elder is notoriously hard to eradicate. Even small fragments of root left in the soil can regrow, making it a persistent problem. Removing it early can save you significant effort later on.
By outcompeting native plants and cultivated species, ground elder can reduce the biodiversity in your garden. This can have a cascading effect on the local ecosystem, affecting pollinators and other wildlife that depend on a variety of plants for food and habitat.
Ground elder damage
While ground elder is not directly harmful to structures or people, its invasive nature and the damage it can cause to plants, soil, and garden aesthetics make it a problematic weed that should be controlled or removed where possible.
In some cases, ground elder’s roots can grow under paths, patios, or other hardscape elements in your garden. As the roots expand, they can cause cracks or lifting in paved surfaces, leading to costly repairs.
The main damage Ground elder causes is to biodiversity. Ground elder competes aggressively for nutrients, water, and sunlight, which can lead to the decline or even death of other plants in your garden. It can overwhelm less vigorous plants, reducing their growth and vitality.
Legal implications
There is no current law that says you can’t have Ground elder in your garden or that you must control its spread. It is not listed as a non-native invasive plant species in Schedule 9 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act, as Japanese knotweed is.
If you do remove Ground elder from your garden, it’s important to dispose of it responsibly – preferably with a licensed garden waste company that can prevent spread. You should not dispose of the Ground elder by throwing it away in the countryside, however harmless this might seem.
Use our extensive guide to identify Ground elder
What does Ground elder look like?
Prevent costly damage to your property
How to get rid of Ground elder
Getting rid of ground elder can be challenging due to its resilient and invasive nature, but it is possible with persistence and the right techniques. Here are some methods to effectively control and eventually eradicate ground elder:
Manual Removal
- Digging Up: Carefully dig up the plants, making sure to remove as much of the root system as possible. Ground elder has a creeping root system (rhizomes) that can regrow from small fragments, so thoroughness is key.
- Sift the Soil: After digging up the plants, sift through the soil to remove any remaining root fragments. This can help prevent regrowth.
Smothering
- Mulching: Cover the affected area with a thick layer of mulch, such as black plastic, cardboard, or a heavy layer of organic mulch (e.g. bark chips). This will block sunlight, starving the ground elder of light, and eventually kill it.
- Cover Crops: Plant a dense, fast-growing cover crop to outcompete ground elder. Cover crops like clover or grass can shade out ground elder and reduce its growth.
Regular Mowing or Cutting
- Mow Regularly: In lawns, regular mowing can weaken ground elder by preventing it from flowering and producing seeds. Over time, this can reduce its vigour.
- Cut Back: In garden beds, regularly cutting back the foliage can help deplete the plant’s energy reserves, gradually weakening it.
Chemical Control
- Herbicides: Use a systemic herbicide that is absorbed by the leaves and translocated to the roots, such as glyphosate. Apply it carefully to avoid harming nearby plants. This method is more effective when the plant is actively growing.
- Spot Treatment: For small patches, apply herbicide directly to the leaves using a brush or sprayer. This minimises damage to surrounding vegetation.
While small pockets of Ground elder are relatively easy to control, larger infestations can be a nightmare. With 25 years’ experience in the industry, Environet is the UK’s leading invasive plant removal company. During this time, we’ve been dealing with some of the UK’s most common non-native invasive plants including Japanese knotweed, Bamboo, Giant hogweed and, of course, Ground elder.
For larger thickets and where immediate removal is required, we would recommend full excavation and removal from site . This involves digging up the plant and the soil around it so that all traces of the Ground elder are removed. This is then transported to a licensed landfill site where it is disposed of safely.
The land that has been excavated can then have new soil put down or can be developed in other ways without fear that the Ground elder will return.
With over 25 years’ experience in the industry, Environet is the UK’s leading invasive plant removal company. During this time, we’ve dealt with some of the UK’s most common non-native invasive plants including Japanese knotweed, Bamboo, Giant hogweed and, of course, Ground elder.
We specialise in helping both homeowners and developers across the UK, as well as organisations such as councils and housing associations.
Whether you need to identify a potentially invasive plant or need professional removal, contact the team at Environet today.
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Accreditations
We have robust systems in place for Environmental and Health & Safety management. Risk assessments are carried out for every aspect of our business to identify situations where harm could be caused. We have an ethos of continuous improvement to eliminate or reduce the risks with detailed working procedures, ongoing training, and monitoring.
All our staff has health and safety and emergency first aid training. We are also accredited by CHAS and Constructionline and are members of the Property Care Association (PCA).
GET IN TOUCH
Contact us
Our team of experts is available between 9am and 5:30pm, Monday to Friday to answer your enquiries and advise you on the next steps
Want a survey?
If you already know you have an invasive plant problem, you can request a survey online in less than two minutes by providing a few brief details. A member of the team will swiftly come back to you with further information and our availability.
Need quick plant identification?
Simply upload a few images of your problem plant to our identification form and one of our invasive plant experts will take a look and let you know, free of charge what you are dealing with. We’ll also be there to help with next steps where necessary.
