- Lily of the valley is self-replicating and tends to proliferate
- Carefully dig up the lilies of the valley
- Prevent spread by lily of the valley manure
- Cut flowers immediately after flowering
No matter how pretty the lilies of the valley are in bloom, the spring flowers shouldn't overgrow the whole garden. In addition, they are 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 getting rid of the spring flower.
Lily of the valley often spread undesirably
Lily of the valley is self-replicating and tends to proliferate
At first you will enjoy the pretty blooms in spring. But after just a few years, the lilies of the valley have populated almost the entire garden. This is because the flowers propagate via underground stolons and seeds.
When planting, you should therefore lay out a rhizome barrier so that the lilies of the valley cannot spread too much.
Carefully dig up the lilies of the valley
If lily of the valley grows in unwanted locations or if you want them to disappear from the garden entirely, only manual work remains. Carefully dig up the rhizomes. Use a digging fork for this, as you will pierce too many rhizomes with the spade.
A new plant grows from each 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 by lily of the valley manure
If you didn't put a rhizome barrier when planting, keep lilies of the valley in check with lily of the valley manure. However, this is very complex:
- Soak the leaves and inflorescences in water
- leave for several days
- Draw strips 25 cm wide around the location
- Soak the strips several times with the liquid manure
Lily of the valley doesn't like their own waste. The rhizomes avoid the strip and stay within the desired border.
Cut flowers immediately after flowering
Since lily of the valley self-seeds, it is important to cut off and discard the slightly dried flowers immediately after flowering.
If some plants are to remain in the garden, you must leave the leaves until autumn. They supply the rhizomes with the nutrients that the plant needs for the next flowering season.
tips
If you want to destroy lilies of the valley completely, do not throw the uprooted plants and especially the roots on the compost heap. There all the root pieces will sprout again. It is better to dispose of lilies of the valley with the garbage disposal.