weed - how can i get rid of it?

[leoblackcat]

We have a patch of soil at the back of our garden that has never really been used. When we moved in the patch was covered in black plastic and maybe now I understand why.

We have been doing lots of work to re-design the garden and have finally got round to trying to dig over the patch at the back. We took the plastic off a while ago and now it has lots of plants that look a bit like forget me nots but tougher. I have looked on the internet and think it might be this:-

Green Alkanet - recognition and treatment

Does anyone have experience of trying to get rid of this? We have been trying to get all of the roots out but it keeps popping up. We have also moved some of the earth to another part of the garden so I think it will spread. Is Round-up or something similar my only way to get rid of it?

[FionaH]

My garden was full of similar stuff, related to borage and a bugger to get rid of. Try glysophate weedkiller such as round up, let it die back spray it again, then dig up. If you leave any roots it will come back!!

I am still picking shoots out now. I am going to keep some in a pot though, makes wonderful plant food apparently

[NOG]

If you have time...hoe them down.

After 7 years they should be gone.

[Flummery]

It's me again - weed lover extraordinaire! You won't be surprised to hear that I love alkanet. I introduced it to my old garden. It's so cheerful. If I had it I'd learn to love it - like I have with my ground elder that now grows flower heads for flower arranging.

[indigox]

We have heaps of this stuff in the garden, you just have to keep digging it out, it's easy if you catch it while it's young, but once it gets to flowering size it has usually put down a tap root and is a pain to get out. Keep digging it out regularly before it seeds.
I left it too long because I thought it was quite pretty, but now it is taking over.

Sorry Flum, but I could never learn to love ground elder!

[leoblackcat]

is it an annual then? If I keep pulling it out before it seeds will it eventually go? or will it just might grow back from the tap root if I don't get it all out? The roots are really hard to get out as they are well established - but it is in a confined area at the mo so we just keep digging.....

[Flummery]

Sorry Flum, but I could never learn to love ground elder!

It takes determination and persistence!