eliminating ajuga
Searched for articles about killing plants but didn't see anything that answers my question. I have a section of about 12 x 12 that has a border of different perennials and several small bushes (peony, lilac, hygrangea). I planted 2 plants of ajuga as a ground cover before realizing how invasive it was. It has taken over everything. I want to kill it off but I also have several asiatic lily bulbs underneath the ground that are beautiful. They are huge. I know I could dig them up and move them but hoping I won't have to. It is fall here and I have trimmed everything back and am thinking now would be a good time to dose the ajuga. If I do this, will this harm the bulbs underneath? I was going to go the chemical route, but then read about your vinegar treatment. Frankly I do not want to use anything chemical - - it would be a first for me - - and I'm not lazy but there is just too much ajuga to dig by hand. I could rototill if I moved all my bulbs. Is there an easy way for me to get rid of this ajuga? It is beautiful and I have transplanted pieces to other sections in my yard where I can contain it, but this area is just too much. The snails love it in there, too. Any ideas?
Doug says that pickling vinegar with salt/oil will indeed burn off ajuga (and most things as well) but it will regrow. You'll have to spray it at least three times to get a kill.
And after that, you're going to have to go after stragglers by hand.
And that's the second method - a good hoe should allow you to work around the perennials without getting deep enough to bother the lilies.
So between the vinegar as a herbicide and a good hoe, you should be fine (yes, it's a lot of work) :-)
