Can someone please help me identify the plant in the attached photo? This plant spreads as fast as I pull it. It has tubers like Dahlias, but so far, I have not seen any flowers. Thanks for any assistance.
Thanks a lot for your prompt response to my inquiry. Any tips on how to eradicate it? We purchased our house six months ago. The garden is choked with thistles, blackberries, and this plant which is the worst.
I think that the only legal ways to get rid of it is to dig up all the tubers, remove all of the green growth as soon as it appears (for at least a year), or cover the area with something that blocks all of the light and above ground growth (also for at least a year).
I can fully empathize with the challenges you are facing in your new garden, faced with thistles, blackberries and Campanula rapunculoides. You can deal with the thistles by pulling them and their progeny year after year before they go to seed until, eventually no new seedlings appear. As for the Campanula, I would use glyphosate carefully and sparingly on individual leaves wherever and whenever you see them. Trying to dig them up will only encourage their wandering ways and the soil disturbance involved in digging will inevitably bring up more seeds which will germinate and create more problems. Depending on how old the blackberry patches my be, you may be successful cutting them back and/or digging them up. As long as you can keep them from seeing the light of day, the lack of photosynthesis will weaken them to the point where they will eventually die. Blackberries have begun to be a big problem in my neighbourhood as they become established in the wild areas surrounding us. If you can catch them young enough, you may be able to dig them but, once they get their roots going (and it doesn't take long) I simply cut them just above ground level and immediately paint glyphosate concentrate on the cut stem. I would recommend you mulch areas of your new garden as you get them under control to suppress annual weeds from complicating your life. Mulch has many benefits as you may already know - here's one article about mulch: https://themicrogardener.com/20-reasons-why-you-should-mulch-your-garden/
Than you very much for your advice. I have accepted the fact that this is the best way. I do appreciate it.
Thank you very much for your detailed advice. I see what you mean regarding blackberries and thistles. I prefer to avoid Round-Up (that is what glyphosate is, right?). Unfortunately, the previous owners were an elderly couple who neglected the garden for over 20 years. It is a serious, widespread infestation. I am prepared to keep digging for years to come.
Thanks. I have no desire to use this substance. Do you know whether a mix of vinegar, salt, and dish detergent will kill this plant? Thanks, again.
A mixture of vinegar, salt and dish detergent is actually more toxic than glyphosate. There are countless bona-fide, science-based websites (.org are the ones to look for) that discuss the relative toxicity of glyphosate. Keep in mind that the vinegar/salt/dish detergent mixture is made up of chemicals just as is glyphosate. Salt, Vinegar, and Glyphosate http://puyallup.wsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/403/2015/03/organic-pesticides.pdf
