How to Get Rid of Ground Ivy (4 Easy Steps!)

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Introduction: 0:00
How to Identify Ground Ivy: 0:34
How to Inspect for Ground Ivy: 2:09
How to Treat for Ground Ivy: 2:50
How to Prevent Ground Ivy: 4:52

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Ground Ivy, also commonly known as creeping charlie, can usually be found growing in dense mats along the ground. However, you can also find some stems of this plant growing vertically, as tall as 8 inches in height. Ground Ivy is easily identified by their round-ish, cusped leaves with scalloped edges and the texture their veins create. These leaves can grow to be 0.4 to 1.2 inches in length. If any ground ivy is growing vertically, you can see its square stem, a trait shared by other plants in the mint family. If you crush ground ivy, you’ll release its fragrant scent. Ground Ivy will flower from March to July, and these flowers are typically blue-ish to violet in color.

Ground Ivy is a perennial weed that flowers from spring to summer and grows strongest during fall. The weed thrives in shaded, moist areas of the lawn, so inspect the parts of your lawn that are exceptionally shaded during the day, like below eaves or tree shade. Ground Ivy, or creeping charlie, can also establish itself where the turf is thin, weak, or otherwise stressed.

To get rid of ground ivy, you’ll need to use a post-emergent herbicide like 2,4-D Amine. 2,4-D Amine is a liquid insecticide concentrate containing the active ingredient, 2,4-D. This product has a very broad label, indicating that it can be used to treat not just ground ivy, but also other weeds like ragweed, dollar grass, red clover, and sweet clover. You’ll want to apply this product at the labeled rate of 3.16 pints per acre. For smaller applications, this breaks down to 1.1 fluid ounces per 1,000 square feet of the treatment area. For the most effective results, you’ll need to make sure your spray application makes contact with the leaf surfaces. To ensure the product you spray sticks to the plant surface, we also recommend you use a surfactant in your pesticide mix, like Alligare 90 Surfactant Wetting Agent. Just use 0.5 fluid ounces for 1 gallon of spray solution. With low pressure, spray weeds directly and use a fan setting to thoroughly coat the leaves’ surface. Spray the weed to the point of wet, not runoff. It’s best to conduct your treatment in early fall when the weeds are growing most actively and when daytime temperatures have dropped below the low 70s.

The best way to keep ground ivy from growing in your lawn is by maintaining proper lawn health. By strengthening your turfgrass and keeping up with maintenance, you’ll choke out weeds and give them little opportunity to grow. Since ground ivy thrives in areas with high moisture, your first step is to improve your lawn’s air circulation and water evaporation. Rake and dethatch your lawn to improve aeration. Trim back any overhanging tree branches to reduce shade. Be sure to mow your lawn to the proper height. Water your lawn once a week in the morning, rather than a little every day.

Click the link to learn how to get rid of ground ivy in your lawn and shop the professional-grade products featured in this video!

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[adammetzger]

I've been having a hell of a time with ground ivy.

[ArbitraryLifestyle]

Superb video! Clear, concise, and detailed.

[blueplasma]

3:12 the word" insecticide" is used in error?

[matthewklinck]

Hi thankyou for the video just wondering if this product kills the grass

[cottydry]

I thought 2-4-D was not that effective and you should use Triclopyr for best results

[imrenaphegyi]

I am so sick of the people telling me about the bees. Yeah I get it, but if the bee population needs my small lawn to survive on earth they are doomed. Between the dandelion infestation, the forest beside me, the golf course across the street and all my neighbors not checking any growth on their property the bees will do just fine.

[psegre]

Yeah right, so where’s the Before and After photos??

[timothypreseau]

Here's how you deal with ground ivy.... MOVE.

[judithsanders]

Leave it alone. Along with speedwell, creeping charlie is one of the first flowers honeybees seek in the spring. Enjoy the tiny flowers & keep those lawn chemicals away from your family & out of our water. Why do you need a grass-only lawn unless you're a professional croquet player?