Creeping Jenny in Vegetable Gardens
Low-growing creeping Jenny (Glechoma hederacea) has small, heart-shaped scalloped-edged foliage and small dark purple flowers. It’s usually used as a ground cover and rises in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 5 through 9. Creeping Jenny, also referred to as ground ivy or creeping Charlie, has an aggressive temperament and can smother plants or take over vegetable gardens. Regrettably, removing creeping Jenny is a tedious job which may damage the vegetables about it, if you’re not careful.
Mechanical Control
Mechanical control can dispose of creeping Jenny without using the harmful substances which may roam onto chlorine plants. If the unwanted plant is small enough, removing it forcefully with your hand may perform the job without damaging nearby vegetable plants. For larger areas, use a hoe to dig the creeping Jenny carefully from this vegetable garden and then repeat every 14 to 18 days to remove new growth. To make removal simple, dampen the soil around the Jenny. This irritating plant has stems that break off easily, so take care to remove as much as you possibly can. The University of Nebraska–Lincoln Extension suggests using a de-thatching rake to remove thick patches of creeping Jenny. Bear in mind that mechanical control demands diligence and neglecting the job can result in the creeping Jenny growing out of control.
Chemical Control
Using substances to control creeping Jenny growing in vegetable gardens is generally not a feasible choice. The herbicides used to kill the unwanted plant may damage and maybe kill the vegetable plants. Miscalculating the amount of herbicide may result in inadequate control outcomes — if too little is used — or damage surrounding vegetation if too much grass killer is put on. If you decide to use herbicides, the University of Maryland Cooperative Extension advocates Dacthal, Treflan or Karmex for use in home vegetable gardens. The North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service recommends not using herbicides to control creeping Jenny when plants are found. To increase the herbicide’s effectiveness and prevent damage to desirable plants, always follow the instructions printed on the product tag.
Borax Marijuana Scale
Creeping Jenny is more sensitive to boron than bud and can be controlled using borax, which comprises boron. However, borax doesn’t target only creeping Jenny and many species of vegetables have a sensitivity to boron. Cucumbers, garlic, beans and peas are a couple of boron-sensitive vegetables while beets, carrots, spinach, artichokes, parsley, asparagus and tomatoes are tolerant of boron. The borax weed killer is made up of 8 ounces of borax dissolved in 4 ounces of lukewarm water. This concentrated solution must be combined with 2 1/2 gallons of lukewarm water before spraying the creeping Jenny using the liquid. Regrettably, boron doesn’t quickly dissipate from the soil and can create an area not capable of development before all boron has leached out, that may take years. Never deal with the area with borax more than once a season every couple of decades.
Considerations
The best defense against creeping Jenny, as well as other unwanted plants, is to properly prepare the soil before planting vegetables. A non-selective, systemic herbicide applied to the area when unwelcome plants are found and temperatures are at least 50 degrees Fahrenheit will help control then undesirable plants before preparing the vegetable garden. Once the unwanted plants are brown, use a ground tiller to until the very top several inches of soil and wait several weeks. If new development appears, repeat the process. An alternative is to cover the unwanted plants using layers of mulch or black plastic and wait several weeks until the undesirable plants are dead. This enables you to prepare the vegetable garden bed without substances.