Gardeners’ Forum: “gout weed”
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Posted by Doug Taweel on Monday, May 28, 2001 8:37 am ADTI was wondering if someone could help me contain gout weed. It is nice ground cover but it is starting to take over our flower bed and we want to stop the spread of gout weed. Any suggestions on how we should accomplish this without getting rid of all of it. thanks doug
re: gout weed
Posted by Jan Fortier on Saturday, June 9, 2001 12:20 am ADTI can sympathize with you! I have it spreading all over the place, but it's being contained by the house on one side, a sidewalk on a second and the steps on the third. It's trying to take over the area to the side of the house now, where the sidewalk turns the corner. What I did was buy some tin flashing, dug a deep trench at the edge of the patch, ensured I had NO roots in the area beyond the trench, then I buried the flashing on its edge in the trench like a wall. I'd suggest the flashing be at least 8 inches wide on the short edge so that there is a good depth of bed protected.
re: gout weed
Posted by Angie on Tuesday, May 7, 2002 11:27 am ADTIt is EXTREMELY difficult to control, in fact, goutweed's root system can be more than 12 in. down. You need a solid barricade buried at least 18 in. I'm not sure if tin would rust as indicated in the other reply. I have a real problem as well - our main front garden was planted with this stuff before we bought our house and I have tried, in vain, to get rid of it for 7 years. If you hear of a way to eliminate this plant, it would be much appreciated. Even Roundup doesn't work.
re: gout weed
Posted by Joy on Thursday, June 26, 2008 9:58 pm ADThelp, help, it's everywhere...there's got to be something other than digging a trench something user and animal friendly. It's flowering now, if I cut off the flowers (seeds ?) will it be somewhat contained or does it spread underground like the wild roses???? help, help, pulees gotta be someone who's been sucessful with this problem...
re: gout weed
Posted by Trish on Thursday, July 3, 2008 9:23 am ADTI innocently planted this at our previous home and despite my best efforts it gradually took over. I still see it for sale in garden centres and I complain..it should be banned!!!..it propagates itself every way possible most incideously through running roots..so the only way to get rid of it is to dig it up..you must get every single bit of tiny roots and pieces or it will re-establish itself. When we moved four years ago I transplanted a favorite fern and every spring a tiny sprig of goutweed sprouts through it..every spring I rip it out and every spring it miraculously pops back up...if I were not as persistant and vigilant it would have taken over by now. So don't buy it, don't plant it and if it's too late ..keep digging!
re: gout weed
Posted by Catherine on Tuesday, July 29, 2008 4:14 pm ADTI heard that boiling water poured over the area is suppose to help and am trying that now and will repeat as new growth will undoubtedly appear. Of course this is not helpful if the goutweed is around plants you wish to keep.Has anyone else heard of safe ways to attack it..its everywhere!!
