Eliminating Unwanted Buttercups: Techniques for Eradicating Invasive Buttercup Weeds in Your Garden Plot
In many gardens, the creeping buttercup (Ranunculus repens) is a persistent and unwelcome guest. This plant, belonging to the Ranunculus family, is considered a weed due to its invasive and prolific nature.
The creeping stems of the buttercup plant root and take hold as it scrabbles over the soil, making control a challenge. Its roots can re-sprout a new plant if left in the ground, and each newly rooted spot is a new plant for the buttercup. Removing the weed is a challenge due to the plant's habit of rooting at internodes and the long spidery roots.
Bonnie L. Grant, a professional landscaper with a Certification in Urban Gardening and 15 years of gardening and writing experience, offers some advice on controlling this pesky weed.
Minimizing the use of herbicides in the landscape is environmentally responsible and healthier for us and our planet. Instead, Grant suggests manual control by digging out isolated plants with their entire root system to prevent regrowth from rhizomes. Improving lawn health and competing vegetation can also help suppress buttercup growth naturally.
In addition, changing the growing conditions in an area can minimize the growth of buttercup. This includes lowering the acidity of soil, increasing percolation, and fertilizing. However, the buttercup plant likes nutrient poor, compact soil with a low pH.
Controlling buttercup weeds is particularly difficult in large scale infestations. If all other methods fail and the buttercup weeds are still persistent, consider seeking professional help from local extension agencies or garden centers.
It's worth noting that there are no known biological controls at this time to kill buttercup weeds. Chemical control (herbicide) is one option for buttercup control, but alternative methods may be more effective. In livestock areas due to its toxicity, and in home gardens if one prefers a clean landscape, controlling buttercup weeds is important.
Grant, a former professional chef, has a passion for edible landscaping. She emphasizes that with a bit of effort and patience, it is possible to maintain a beautiful, buttercup-free garden.
