Help - Violets Taking Over

by Kathy
(Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada)

How do I get rid of pesky violets that have just taken over my garden and are in the lawn and EVERYWHERE!!!!
I've tried digging them up by the roots and they come back twice as bad!!!

Doug says welcome to lawn hell. Here's the deal. You have to increase the health of your lawn - getting it very thick and lush. You do that by overseeding in the fall and by mowing as tall as you can. And you keep digging out the offending plants (they self sow like mad by the way)

Corn gluten in the spring will stop the majority of young seeds from establishing - the mother plants will slowly die out.

The thicker lawn will fight them off and taller mowing allows the grass to shade out some of the foliage but the bad news is that the viola will act as a mini-climber and climb up the grass blades.

I confess I hate this plant for this reason (one of the few plants I won't allow in my garden)

Here are the instructions for a healthy lawn