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ajuga problem

paxdan45's picture

ajuga problem (post #19438)

paxdan45 on Mon, 01/09/2012 - 14:58
in

For the last 3 years or so, ajuga  has been aggresively growing in the lawn, Mowing slows it down some, It has also started to take over my 1 acre of pasture where I raise a few lambs each year. The lambs don't graise the ajuga, but the ajuga sure does move in at all opportunities. The pasture is pretty wet most of the year and acid. I'm sorry to say,tilling the pasture and adding lots  of lime seemed to give  the ajuga there a boost. Sheep don't care for it, deer don't care for it either.Any thoughts on how to  control this invasive plant?   Thank you.. danny

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KimmI's picture

Ajuga (post #19438, reply #1 of 1)

by KimmI in reply to paxdan45 [original] on Thu, 01/12/2012 - 05:20

Ajuga reptans, aka Bugkeweed, is a common plant often sold as a ground cover.. Like other members of the Mint family it is an agressive grower,as you have found. Most every thing about thois plant is how to grow it not how to get rid of it.

You could spray a plant pooison around regualarly which might help control this some, or you could look at the soil this is growing in and correct the problems that soil has that allows this plant to grow which would be a better, long term solution.. If possible look at fixing the reason the pasture is wet most of the year, High Water Table, poor drainage, etc.. What is the soils pH? Often someone says they have "acidic" soils and then finds, after a good reliable soil test, that the pH is really in the range most plants need to grow, 6.0 to 7.0. But dig in and look at the soil and see if it has problmes that need correcting.

The sign of a good gardener is brown knees, not a green thumb.