How can I control Creeping Charlie in my lawn?

April 22, 2015

In 1976 All American Turf Beauty was the first company in Iowa to offer programmed lawn care. The company founders literally invented and developed the industry in Iowa. Get a beautiful weed-free lawn with our professional lawn care services!

What is Creeping Charlie?

Ground Ivy (Glechoma hederacea), also known as “Creeping Charlie”, “Creeping Jenny”, and “Gill-over-the-Ground”, is a common perennial, evergreen weed found growing in moist and shady areas. It produces bright green, round or kidney-shaped leaves that have scalloped edges. The leaves are produced opposite each other on square (four sided), creeping stems that root at the nodes. In spring, small bluish-purple, funnel-shaped flowers appear. When the plant is crushed, it produces a strong mint-like odor. This plant is competitive in lawn situations because it creeps along the soil surface and can establish roots at each node (where the leaf attaches to the stem).

Cultural Control

This persistent weed grows most successfully in damp shady areas and sparse lawns. Good practices that encourage a thick and healthy lawn are the first line of defense against ground ivy. Increasing sunlight to the lawn by trimming trees, fertilizing, and watering turf grass properly and cutting the lawn to the correct height will promote vigorous growth of the turf. Small, isolated patches of ground ivy can be hand-pulled. Keep pulling out the ground ivy as it reappears, and over time you can eliminate this pesky weed. In many cases, however, ground ivy is so wide spread that the only practical solution is chemical control.

Chemical Control

Products containing triclopyr have proven to be highly effective. Many products available to home owners contain triclopyr. An application after the first frost is often particularly effective. During this period, plants are drawing nutrients from their leaves and into their roots for storage over the winter, and herbicides are more effectively moved into the roots, resulting in better control. Applications are also effective in the spring during ground ivy’s blooming period (typically April to June). In both cases, repeat applications may be necessary to achieve complete control. When using an herbicide for ground ivy control, be sure to read and follow all label instructions of the product that you select to ensure that you use the product in the safest and most effective manner possible. Borax has been touted as an organic control for ground ivy. Research has shown that borax does not provide long-term control of ground ivy, and can injure turf and other plants. Thus, borax is not recommended for ground ivy or other broadleaf weed control.

Guarantee of Satisfaction

Our services are guaranteed!

If you are not completely satisfied with an All American Turf Beauty application to your lawn, we will re-apply the application at no additional cost and continue the regular lawn treatment program. Alternately, we will fully refund your cost for the application and cancel any further obligation on your part.

To qualify for the guarantee, you must call All American Turf Beauty within 30 days of application.

Our goal at All American Turf Beauty, Inc. is a simple one:

To provide you with the highest quality products and methods available.

We offer every kind of service that it takes to develop and maintain a beautiful lawn in Iowa based on the climate, soil types, and the varieties of grass that are commonly grown here.

One of the keys to the success of the program is that we provide treatment to lawns approximately every 8 weeks throughout the growing season. This ensures that the grass has fertilizer (food) available throughout the growing season. Dandelions and other Broadleaf weeds are controlled as they germinate thus enabling a weed free lawn, and our Turf Specialist is at the property four to six times per season to address problems as and when they arise.

Another key to our service is our people. The most important person to you in our company is the Turf Specialist assigned to treat your lawn.

We are proud to say that our Turf Specialists are the best trained and most experienced in the lawn care industry.

When you become a customer at All American Turf Beauty, a Turf Specialist is assigned to your account. You will have the same person treating your lawn each time. It is their responsibility to service your lawn, make sure it is receiving the correct applications as scheduled, and to provide you with the best personalized service possible. Their jobs depend on it.

We have several programs to choose from. Your Turf Specialist will recommend the best program that fits the needs of your lawn and your budget.

lawn-service-results
lawn1
Safe-Lawn-3-1

Licensed, Certified, and Insured!

Get the Best Lawn Care & Holiday Lightning Services in Iowa

All American Turf Beauty provides complete services ranging from lawn care to Christmas lighting. We are dedicated to making your yard and home look its best. Let us do the work, so you can enjoy your home and the things that matter the most to you.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.