I have just moved house and the garden is covered in Creeping Buttercup. How and when am I best takling this? I have a dog and ideally wanted to grow vegetables so don't want to poinson the dog or use something that will do more harm than good.

Is it a case of painstakingly digging them out?:(

Hi there, This may not be very PC but i cleared my garden with Glysophate weedkiller. It's taken up by the leaves and fed to the roots thus killing the offending plant. It's none selective so if you have any plants you dont want to die, cover them move them or use a spot spray/pen. It dries pretty quickly so its safe for the pets and kids. (i did mine in the evening when the grandson was in bed and the dogs weren't running riot!). I'm not sure if there's a specific time of year to use it but it will say on the packet/bottle. It is ineffective once it hits the earth and you can plant straight away. It takes a couple of weeks to work and you may need to reapply. It worked for me although i do still have the blighters, it cleared the worst of them and i dig the rest up as i find them. If you are wanting to be organic, someone else will be more able to advise as i dont have a clue other than smothering them with black plastic or old carpet, using a flame thrower, or digging them up!! Good luck

I used the same weed Killer as the post above me. I was wary as I had daffodil bulbs underneath the creeping buttercups.It killed the weeds and the daffies were fine when they came up the following spring. Ive used the same stuff ever since.

I dug mine out .. took time, but beds are clear of it now, just the odd baby appearing from time to time.

I mentioned the weeds to a friend of mine who has just set up his own gardening business and he has offered to dig them out as a house warming present. Thanks for the replies, cant wait to get going again growing veg. We.ve been in a rented house for over a year and just tidying some one elses garden and managing a few of my own containers is just not the same!

My friend dug the veg patch over in November and got most of the weeds out - I'm keeping an eye out for baby ones comming back through. Having taken a closer look , the whole garden is covered with the stuff, as are both neighboroughs gardens so this will probably be an ongoing battle!

The soil is good though which is a bonus, just planning what to grow this year :)

I'm digging mine out - yes they are all over and a pain but since it's my allotment I don't want to playing with weedkillers. As with all things - if you don't want to use weedkillers then repeated weeding over a period of months / years will do!

I'm digging mine out - yes they are all over and a pain but since it's my allotment I don't want to playing with weedkillers. As with all things - if you don't want to use weedkillers then repeated weeding over a period of months / years will do!

I tried digging mine out but they just come back. It had to be a weedkiller for me.

I tried digging mine out but they just come back. It had to be a weedkiller for me.

Hmmm well... I guess I'll find out in a couple of years! :)

Spot weed using Weedol which is systemic weedkiller. That means that when a leaf or two of the plant is sprayed it will poison the whole plant down to the roots and even some of the runners that creeping ranunculus produces.

A small hand spray can adjusted to produce a single jet of water like a water pistol means you can accurately spray the weeds and leave the other plants untouched. I like to mix the weedkiller double the concentration recommended. The weedkiller is neutralised on contact with the soil and will only kill plants that are sprayed directly.

Spot weed using Weedol which is systemic weedkiller. That means that when a leaf or two of the plant is sprayed it will poison the whole plant down to the roots and even some of the runners that creeping ranunculus produces.

A small hand spray can adjusted to produce a single jet of water like a water pistol means you can accurately spray the weeds and leave the other plants untouched. I like to mix the weedkiller double the concentration recommended. The weedkiller is neutralised on contact with the soil and will only kill plants that are sprayed directly.

Yes, this is true. I had daffodils under the creeping buttercup.I sprayed with weedkiller, and the daffodills came up fine next Spring.

When I took over my allotment last March, I had the full-house of weeds. Buttercup, dandelion,brambles etc. It was that bad I couldn't get a spade into the soil! I covered the affected area with some old carpet,& when I lifted it this October, all of the weeds had rotted-away & the soil was a dream to cultivate.
I know the garden will look a mess for a while, but this method saved me a lot of backache & money.

Yes, this is true. I had daffodils under the creeping buttercup.I sprayed with weedkiller, and the buttercups came up fine next Spring.

my bold - :o you mean the daffs right ??

my bold - :o you mean the daffs right ??

Yes of course. I must apologise for my silly mistake.

I covered the affected area with some old carpet,& when I lifted it this October, all of the weeds had rotted-away & the soil was a dream to cultivate.
.

Hi Melv, sometimes it is deceptive at that time of year, as things are naturally dying off for the winter ... Spring will be a good time to double check

When I took over my allotment last March, I had the full-house of weeds. Buttercup, dandelion,brambles etc. It was that bad I couldn't get a spade into the soil! I covered the affected area with some old carpet,& when I lifted it this October, all of the weeds had rotted-away & the soil was a dream to cultivate.
I know the garden will look a mess for a while, but this method saved me a lot of backache & money.

I would like to try this.

Remember never put buttercups into the composter or onto the compost heap, they love that! The buttercups will germinate as soon as you sprinkle the soil onto the flower beds.

Yes of course. I must apologise for my silly mistake.

I'd have been asking for my money back if it was the other way round :hihi::hihi:

I'd have been asking for my money back if it was the other way round :hihi::hihi:

Yes, Ive had to laugh, I am a silly billy arent I ? :hihi::hihi::hihi:Ive corrected it now!