# Help! Creeping Myrtle giving us the creeps



## Madman (Jan 5, 2008)

Creeping Myrtle has been steadily gaining an ever larger foothold on our lawn. It's difficult to pull out, and spray out. My last experiment was to cut a section of the lawn along the drivway at the shortest height the mower would go down to. This exposed more of the vine-like tentacles of the creepy stuff to the blades. Fortunately, we have had a rather wet summer, so the grass can stand the severe cut. however, I dare not try doing the entire acre in this manner. 

Anyone have any other suggestions on getting rid of the stuff?


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## altterrain (Jan 2, 2008)

The lysmachia in my beds isn't as hardy as the other weeds (crab grass, ground ivy, etc.) in my lawn, so no worries! 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHFDa9efCQU 

-Brian


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## Madman (Jan 5, 2008)

I* wouldn't* worry and *would* be happy if the *powers that be* would learn that *she* too, can "Stop worrying and learn to love the bomb."


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## Scottychaos (Jan 2, 2008)

If by "creeping myrtle" you mean the thing we call "creeping charlie"..then IMO its an unwinnable war.. 
we have the stuff through every square foot of our lawn..nothing will get rid of it except maybe round-up the whole yard and re-seed.. 
which isnt going to happen.. 

Im talking about Glechoma hederacea: 
http://www.missouriplants.com/Blueo..._plant.jpg 
it has about 10 different common names.. 

personally, I gave up..its here to stay. 

Scot


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## Madman (Jan 5, 2008)

That's it, that's the stuff I'm talking about. I have been telling my wife for years that as long as it's green and kept cut, it's a lawn.


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## grassman (Sep 6, 2009)

I was just wondering if this weed has a purple flower with it or does it pretty much stay without a flower through the year. There are two weeds I know about which can be controlled.The weed without a flower is called ground Ivy, the weed with a purple flower is Henbit. Both weeds are controlled the same way. I would recommend a lawn weed control known as Turflon D. 
I would recommend that you mow the lawn fairly short but not all the way down to the ground. I would set your mower on the concrete and measure from the bottum of your deck to the concrete. There should be 2" there. The problem with mowing so short is the weed grows faster then the grass. The object shoud be to have the grass grow faster then the weed. The higher you mow the more the grass shades out the soil and keeps the weed from spreading. I would recommend you to contact a John Deere Landscape office if there is one near you. The company that used to sell lawn weed controls was Lesco but they were bought out by John Deere Landscape. I would also recommend repeated applications about three to four weeks apart.


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## Scottychaos (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By grassman on 06 Sep 2009 07:56 PM 
The object shoud be to have the grass grow faster then the weed. The higher you mow the more the grass shades out the soil and keeps the weed from spreading. 



Ive tried that..I think its a myth..
doesnt work with this stuff..you would need grass about 1foot high to make any difference!this stuff is a menace..its EVERYWHERE..I could spray weed killer (the kind that doesnt kill grass) but I would have to spray literally every square foot of our lawn..half an acre..and there are too many "good" plants that would also get sprayed in the process.

it cant be done..not in my case.

Scot


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## Ron Hill (Sep 25, 2008)

Dan, have you tried Spectride Heavy Brush Killer? It is akin to Spectride Weed and Grass Spray you can get at Lowes', Home Depot and Ace Hardware among others. I have found that the grass and weed spray will kill most weeds but some take some extra effort. Kills in 24 hours.


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## Treeman (Jan 6, 2008)

Creeping Charlie is easily controlable in the fall with the use of a herbicide containing triclopyr. Three easily found herbicides with this in it are: Weed Be Gon Purple, Weed Be Gon Chickweed, Weed Be Gone Max. The best time to apply it is in the fall, around Oct. 1-15th. This will not hurt or kill the grass. Round UP will kill everything it comes in contact with that is green.


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

One house we lived in when I was a kid was deeply shaded on the north side. Nothing would grow except Creeping Charlie. It made a rather nice ground cover there. Between our house and the neighbor's grass was a little stone wall. I don't remember it crossing the wall. But then, I was 12 then so I might not have paid much attention.


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## Madman (Jan 5, 2008)

I have tried Burn Out. It's a natural substance that smells like Clove. As a matter of fact, it is clove. It sufficates the plant, but it isn't selective. So spraying the Mrtlye is difficult and time consuming.


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