Invasion of creeping Charlie (Glechoma hederacea) and other broadleaf weeds is bad news and a severe headache for all lawn owners. You need to apply herbicide to get rid of them.
However, not all herbicides work against them effectively. On the dicamba herbicide for creeping charlie works like a charm if apply it in time and you have enough patients.
In this article, I will talk about the most effective dicamba-based herbicide to kill the ground ivy (another name for creeping Charlie).
Killing Creeping Charlie With Dicamba-Based Herbicide
Not all herbicides for broadleaf weeds can kill it because of its aggressive growth pattern. You need to apply something that contains dicamba. And you must get your timing right!
Don’t fret. Let’s see how to kill the creeping Charlie.
I will mention 3 or 4 herbicide that contains dicamba later in this article. So, if you don’t know where to get them, don’t worry. You will get to know them pretty soon.
- Method 1: Applying Herbicide
The first thing about killing them successfully is to apply it at the right time. And the right time to apply such herbicide in early fall. Because this is the time when it grows most actively.
Applying dicamba-based herbicide in early fall will make the creeping Charlie very weak to survive the upcoming winter. Only this is the time you can expect the herbicide will eradicate such weeds.
But, you must apply the herbicide several times during this season.
Alternatively, you can apply the same in the later spring to the early summer and it will still work. But it won’t completely eradicate the highly resilient weeds. It will just stall its growth.
In addition to applying it at the right time, you must follow the right procedure. You should apply the dicamba herbicide after 3 days of mowing. And you can’t mow for the next 3 days after applying the herbicide.
This is important to allow the herbicide to work through the plant’s internal system. The 3 days’ interval will allow the creeping Charlie to grow more leaves and they will take in more herbicide!
- Method 2: Kill Them In Flower Beds!
Another way of getting rid of creeping Charlie is to kill them in the flower beds. You can do so by pulling them out by your hands. But Make sure to pull them after proper watering or after rain to make the job easy.
The smothering technique is another way to kill them in the flower beds. You can either use a thick mulch application or layers of newspaper. Or you can use them both to smoother them.
Whatever eradicating method you apply from the flower bed, closely monitor to check for their reappearing. Remove any reappearing creeping charlie plants immediately.
- Method 3: How To Get Rid Of Creeping Charlie With Borax?
As a full discloser, using borax will not only kill the creeping charlie but also other smaller plants too if you don’t use it carefully!
I just want you to bear this in mind before you apply the Borax on your lawn. I strongly discourage using it in your vegetable garden!
With that being said, Borax is a wonderful weed killer and it will definitely kill the creeping charlie if applied carefully. This is how you should do it…
Every plant needs boron (a kind of mineral salt) to survive and Borax contains boron a lot. So, when you apply the Borax to weed, it will increase the toxic level of the weeds and ultimately kill them.
Now, determine how much Borax needs to be applied depends on how much boron is already in your lawn soil. So, a soil test is necessary before you apply Borax.
Read the instructions labeled on Borax carefully. And you need to apply the Borax solution when the creeping charlie is actively growing. However, the general instruction I always follow is this:
- As Borax is highly concentrated, you must mix it with water. For every 10 oz. of Borax, you need 4 oz. of water.
- Pour the Borax + water mixed solution into a spray bottle for even application on weeds. 3 cups of the mixed solution will treat around 62 square feet of your lawn.
- Make sure it’s not going to be raining for at least 48 hours.
- Evenly apply the mixture over your entire lawn area.
- Reapply Borax again after 2 weeks.
If you notice that the formula is working, don’t get carried away. If you add too much Borax, it will leave empty patches across the various spots on your lawn.
But if the bad things happen where you notice empty spots on your lawn, don’t overthink about it. You can always re-seed to fill up those spots. Here is a complete reseeding guide for you.
3 Dicamba-Based Weed Killers To Buy
You can use any of the below 3, but make sure to follow the manufacturers’ instructions to stay safe and get the best results.
- Southern Ag Weed Killer
Not just the creepy charlie, it will eradicate woody plants and broadleaf weeds too if you have enough patients. Although you will see the weeds are getting to have brown color within days.
It’s very cheap and you will need very little like 1 to 4 pints for 1 acre. The good thing about this best weed killer is that once the creepy charlie is gone, it will take a long time to come back!
- Trimec Classic Broadleaf Herbicide
They call it the angel of death for creepy charlie! It has a tiny bit of smell but very safe for kids and your pets. Like the first one, it’s cheap and has very long-lasting effects.
- Chickweed, Clover and Oxalis Weed Killer
Without killing your beloved grass, it will kill any type of creeping charlie your lawn is infested with. The cool thing about this is that you will see results within hours!
And it’s rainproof; meaning you can apply it anytime you want. However, you should mow your lawn 2 days prior to the application of this weed killer.
Triclopyr Or Dicamba In Herbicides?
By now, you have learned everything about the dicamba. But some weed killers contain triclopyr instead of dicamba. While we are on the subject, I think you should learn about them as well.
Any herbicide containing triclopyr works like a charm to get rid of pesky weeds. When you have a large area full of creeping charlie and other hard-to-kill weeds QUICKLY, it’s a good solution!
The good thing about triclopyr is that it won’t leave a deadly toll on the environment and wildlife. Also, it does not affect your garden favorites.
To give you full information, some lawn owners have expressed their frustrations over herbicides containing triclopyr saying it did not work well to kill the creeping charlie.
Between the triclopyr and dicamba enriched herbicides, I will always prefer the dicamba as I have found real results personally.
Conclusion
Having a lawn means dealing with weeds each season. Pesky weeds are a quite disturbance but creeping charlie among them is quite hard to get rid of.
But as you have already learned the dicamba herbicide for creeping charlie works just fine, I just hope you follow the tips mentioned above and solve your problem on your own.
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Hi. My lawn is infested with creeping charlie. I found your post very informative and basic. Exactly the information I was looking for.
Wish me luck.