No matter how pretty the lily of the valley blooms, the spring flowers shouldn't overgrow the entire garden. They are also poisonous and therefore not necessarily suitable for gardens with children and pets. Removing lilies of the valley from the garden is not easy. Tips for eliminating spring flower.
How can I effectively remove lily of the valley in the garden?
To eliminate lily of the valley, carefully dig up the rhizomes, remove all root parts, cut off dried flowers and prevent the spread of lily of the valley manure. A rhizome barrier when planting can limit growth.
Lily of the valley reproduces itself and tends to grow
At first you will enjoy the pretty flowers in spring. But after just a few years, the lilies of the valley have colonized almost the entire garden. This is because the flowers reproduce via underground runners and seeds.
You should therefore lay out a rhizome barrier when planting so that the lilies of the valley cannot spread too much.
Dig up lily of the valley carefully
If lilies of the valley grow in undesirable locations or should they disappear from the garden completely, the only option is to do it manually. Dig up the rhizomes carefully. To do this, use a digging fork (€139.00 on Amazon), as you will puncture too many rhizomes with the spade.
A new plant grows from every piece of root. You therefore have to pick all the root parts out of the ground. It can take several years to get the garden free of lilies of the valley.
Prevent spread through lily of the valley manure
If you didn't put a rhizome barrier when planting, keep lily of the valley under control with lily of the valley manure. However, this is very time-consuming:
- Put leaves and inflorescences in water
- let it steep for several days
- Draw stripes 25 cm wide around the location
- Soak the strips several times with the manure
Lilies of the valley don't like their own waste. The rhizomes avoid the strip and stay within the desired boundary.
Cut flowers immediately after flowering
Since lilies of the valley sow themselves through seeds, it is important to cut off the slightly dried flowers immediately after flowering and throw them away.
If you want some plants to remain in the garden, you must leave the leaves until autumn. They supply the rhizomes with the nutrients the plant needs for the next flowering season.
Tip
If you want to destroy lily of the valley completely, do not throw the torn out plants and especially the roots into the compost heap. All the root pieces sprout again there. It is better to dispose of lily of the valley through the garbage disposal.
