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Woken a sleeping beast.....
History - New build garden. the first owner was very much a gardener. The second owner was really not. I'm keen to learn and have been working hard to get my knowledge up.
The garden is south facing it is very shaded by a tree and has dry stony poor quality soil.
I've been working on the soil with lots of organic matter, sifting, regular watering and slowly all the original planting is recovering. Current planting is astilbes, hostas, heuchera, hellebores and roses - all doing really well
Today I noticed a stray unrelated leaf poking out of the hellebore mound - Chinese lantern
I had noticed a lone clump last year (under the fence from next door) but the ground was so poor it was strangled and I hadn't realised at that point how invasive they were. After doing my last round of soil conditioning in the last week or so its spread like wildfire along the back fence line and has now moved forwards into my planting! so by improving the beds and planting Ive let the beast in!
On reading up on the treatment it seems the only solution to go full nuclear or it will strangle everything - which will undo two years work to get the garden back up to speed.
And thoughts from the more knowledgable?
Ps - next door dug up their lawn, beds and patios as they were having a full overhaul and landscaping done - however, they ran out of money then split up so the house is now rented to students 'as is'- so its a huge rubble and bin bag filled weed patch. So they are not going to treat any origin plant so it is going to be a defensive action only.
The garden is south facing it is very shaded by a tree and has dry stony poor quality soil.
I've been working on the soil with lots of organic matter, sifting, regular watering and slowly all the original planting is recovering. Current planting is astilbes, hostas, heuchera, hellebores and roses - all doing really well
Today I noticed a stray unrelated leaf poking out of the hellebore mound - Chinese lantern
I had noticed a lone clump last year (under the fence from next door) but the ground was so poor it was strangled and I hadn't realised at that point how invasive they were. After doing my last round of soil conditioning in the last week or so its spread like wildfire along the back fence line and has now moved forwards into my planting! so by improving the beds and planting Ive let the beast in!
On reading up on the treatment it seems the only solution to go full nuclear or it will strangle everything - which will undo two years work to get the garden back up to speed.
And thoughts from the more knowledgable?
Ps - next door dug up their lawn, beds and patios as they were having a full overhaul and landscaping done - however, they ran out of money then split up so the house is now rented to students 'as is'- so its a huge rubble and bin bag filled weed patch. So they are not going to treat any origin plant so it is going to be a defensive action only.
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Comments
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these?
https://www.gardenfocused.co.uk/plants/chinese-lantern.php
wow, did not know they were that bad...pretty though.
Can ou dig what's in your garden then put a barrier [ piece od wood etc] in the grond between you and your neighbours?Non me fac calcitrare tuum culi0 -
Hi Taff,
Yes, they are the blighters
https://www.thespruce.com/how-to-control-chinese-lanterns-41255830 -
Do they set seed? I’ve been thinking of using them in a container on the patio, but you have me worried now!0
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No they don't set seed. Their roots make more of them so to get rid of them you have to find every single root and dig it out as leaving the smallest behind will cause regrowth.
Also they have been know to root out the bottom of pots and escape that way, just so you know0 -
We're talking about a perennial plant grown for it's attractive flower pods, Physalis franchetii.
Like many, many, garden plants it has an invasive habit and requires the gardener to either live with it and enjoy it or, if you want rid - spray weedkiller on it and wait.
Digging it out is some people's choice but a lot of times this breaking of roots etc can just spur growth on.
Spraying is the root I would go. No pun intended !0 -
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I got some seeds free with a magazine, fortunately my original plan of planting in chimney pots didn't pan out, so they're in smaller pots on the verandah, separated from Mother Earth by a good 5' of fresh air.
Why am I in this handcart and where are we going ?0 -
Sorry, I should have been clearer, once established they don't need seeds to spread - the roots are enough to cause them to regrow. They do have seeds, rather pretty ones in fact.
They are Rhizomes - so seeding is secondary0 -
Are they the edible ones?0
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Astrozombies wrote: »Are they the edible ones?
I'm fairly certain they're poisonous
Why am I in this handcart and where are we going ?0
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