Takes hard work to get rid of Creeping Charlie

Q. I have several patches of Creeping Charlie in my yard that seem to get larger each year. Is there anything you can recommend using to get rid of this invasive problem? Is there any weed killer or other product that may do the trick? To complicate matters, I have a dog so I need to be careful what I use to keep her from getting sick.A. Creeping Charlie (also known as ground ivy) is one "tough" invasive weed that has challenged gardeners for years. Those patches of weeds do get bigger by the year because the plant "creeps" with long stems (stolons) that root at the leaf nodes. It is a perennial that also spreads by seeds and cuttings in your grass clippings.One of the first things to do is make sure you have Creeping Charlie and not henbit, an annual plant that seeds in fall and blooms in early spring. Both are members of the mint family and look similar. Check a library reference or the University of Illinois Web site weedid.aces.uiuc.edu to help identify your plant.Creeping Charlie is an "opportunist" that easily invades an area where grass is sparse. If your Creeping Charlie is in a shady area you could begin by thinning shrubs or trees to allow more light to reach the lawn.The most effective mechanical way to remove Creeping Charlie is to aggressively hoe it out or remove it by hand. This is a labor intensive task but will help you rid your yard of the plant. Or you can heavily mulch the area to smother the plants. In either case, you will need to reseed the area or reduce the size of your lawn by replanting with ornamental vegetation.You might have read about using a borax solution to kill Creeping Charlie. This natural mineral is not recommended nor approved as an herbicide. The mineral does not readily break down in the soil and too much can damage your lawn and other vegetation. While some research has shown borax reduces Creeping Charlie, the results are inconsistent and are weather and soil-condition dependent. Also, a borax solution strong enough to kill vegetation has not been tested for safety around children and pets.Because of your dog, you want to avoid chemical control if possible. Weed killers that include 2, 4-D and mecoprop are recommended to kill Creeping Charlie, but often need to be reapplied several times. If you choose this method as a last resort, carefully follow container directions and fence in the area so the dog cannot contact the chemical.#160;Q. This spring I have some bare spots in my lawn. I would like to fill the area with a quick growing grass. I saw a magazine ad for plugs of zoysia grass that are supposed to spread quickly. Do you recommend it for my lawn?A. Zoysia grass is fast growing (invasive) and has good heat and drought tolerance. Unfortunately, it is very dense and produces a lot of thatch that must be removed each year. It is a warm season grass that is better suited for southern climates. In this area it turns brown early in the fall and greens up late in the spring. It results in unattractive straw-colored patches in the lawn much of the year. The ads for this grass make it sound as if it is a quick solution for bare spots, but it is not recommended for northern Illinois.bull; Provided by Mary Boldan and Donna Siemro, University of Illinois Extension Master Gardeners. Send questions to Ask a Master Gardener, c/o Friendship Park Conservatory, 395 W. Algonquin Road, Des Plaines, IL 60016, (847) 298-3502 or via e-mail to cookcountymg@sbcglobal.net.