strange purple weed taking over the world (well my garden anyway)

[janeyo]

Hi - bit of background. We moved here in Jan and I dug out the veg beds from scratch and the flower beds which were lawn.
It's a big plot and I don't get round to keeping the weeds down as I should. Only SO many hours in the day unfortunately and I am out there from when the children go to bed til I want to go to bed!

But I have been finding loads of tiny little purple weeds that look a bit like clover but smaller and they are SPREADING round the whole garden. From nowhere and nothing. I dig them up and the next day they are back. The roots seem to spread a long way down for such a tiny weed and then meander about a bit before popping up somewhere else. Trouble is it's been so dry (last few days pemitting) it's night on impossible to get deep enough to get the roots out fully.
I am also finding patches coming through in the lawn too.

Any ideas on what this could be and how to get rid? It's making me think gravel and membrane and pots may be the answer as it's speading that quickly. I have never seen this before in any of my previous gardens!

Thanks janeyo

[janeyo]

Bummer. It's called yellow oxalis (sleeping beauty) and is a pig to get rid of.

[zazen999]

Purple Oxalis

Just found it

and yes, it is a bugger to get rid of.

[Snadger]

I usually refer to it as 'suckling clover'! It is a major weed of fine turf lawns as it grows below the height of the cutting blades. Usually associated with dry compacted soil!

[janeyo]

Yep my soil (in the garden not the veggies as I've worked harder on that) is DEF dry and compacted.

I don't understand why I have never come across this before.

Doing my nut it is and the rain means it's great to dig it all up... but too wet to go out there!

janeyo

[lettucegrow!]

I hate this plant. I've been battling with it for quite some time now.It is so prolific as it's seeds explode every where,I just keep pulling it up,try to loosen the roots and get the whole plant out in one go,and keep on and on and on.Good luck!

[Nicos]

Isn't that strange....I keep trying to grow this in my garden!!!!

I think it's lovely but it keeps dying off!!!

Maybe that's just as well from the sounds of it