- 1). Cover the lily of the valley plants with 10 to 12 layers of newspaper and a top sheet of landscape cloth. Weigh down the papers and cloth with stones or bricks. Leave the materials on the plants for a month or longer, then rake them out. Depriving them of moisture and light for an extended period of time will weaken the plants, making them easier to remove.
- 2). Dig out plants that have exceeded their boundaries and contain the remaining plants with flower bed edging. Since lily of the valley spreads by means of underground rhizomes as well as seeds, edging should be continuous strips, seated in the ground to a depth of 6 inches or more. Shallower edging or edging bricks, which leave gaps in between, are not solid enough to contain the spread of lily of the valley.
- 3). Spray a glycosate-based weed killer, such as Round-up, to remove stubborn plants. They will still have to be removed by hand, and the bed cannot be refilled with plants sensitive to glycosate; however, weakened plants will be easier to remove.
- 4). Dig, rake and pull out lily-of-the-valley plants, taking care to follow long rhizomes to their ends and remove them completely. This strategy seldom works on a single try. Be prepared to watch for surviving plants and remove them over the following seasons. Persistence matters when dealing with lily of the valley. For beds to be completely replanted, you may wish to optimize your chances of removal by removing and replacing as much of the top 6 inches of soil as possible.
- 5). Prune away as much shade as possible in areas where you want to eradicate lily of the valley. These liles cannot tolerate prolonged or intense sunlight. Pruning does not have to be heavy; trimming back neighboring shrubs slightly more than usual can have an effect.
previous post