Is creeping gunsel poisonous and how to remove the purple weed? – Here are the answers!

As the temperatures rise, we are drawn outside more and more often and there is hardly anything nicer than relaxing in your own garden after a long day at work. Gardening is fun and good for the soul and body – every hobby gardener knows that. But no one wants weeds in their garden, right? Once it has found its way into the garden, creeping Günsel spreads faster than we would like. Although the ground-covering plant is ideal for planting under hedges and path edges as well as for planting larger areas, it is rather undesirable in your own lawn. Is creeping gunsel poisonous? How can you remove the purple weeds in the lawn? Read on because you will find all the answers in the following article!

The creeping Günsel is a blue-flowering and actually quite pretty perennial that can be seen in meadows as well as bushes and hedges. The perennial grows to around 30 cm high and usually spreads very quickly - and for this very reason it is undesirable for many gardeners in their own garden and can become a pest. Is creeping gunsel poisonous? The answer to that is no, quite the opposite - the wild herb has been considered a medicinal plant for centuries.

Nowadays, creeping Günsel is used for sore throats and digestive problems and can even be used in the kitchen. However, there are 65 different species of the plant and 3 of them are actually edible. These include creeping gunsel (Ajuga reptans), yellow gunsel (Ajuga chamaepitys) and pyramidal gunsel (Ajuga pyramidalis). With its slightly bitter taste, it is ideal for seasoning soups, stews, herb sauces and salads.

Removing the purple weeds in the lawn: Here's how to do it

Once creeping gunsel has established itself in a location, it spreads very quickly and getting rid of it can be quite difficult. But that's why we're here for you and we'll give you the best tips on how to get the purpleRemove weeds from the lawn. It can reproduce in two ways - either via its roots or by self-sowing. Therefore, it is very important that you take timely action.

Enclose the bed

A bed border that runs above ground is one of the most effective ways to combat creeping weevils in the garden. To do this, place the plant in the ground as usual and then attach the bed border. There are various options to choose from and bed borders made of metal, plastic or stone are ideal for this. It is particularly important that the material is not only placed in the ground, but also looks out slightly - this is the only way to block the path of the foothills. Also make sure that the bed borders have a certain height.

Cut back creeping Günsel

As already mentioned, creeping Günsel reproduces via root runners and seeds, which can be carried to distant locations by voles or birds. And so it can happen that weeds suddenly and unexpectedly appear in your garden. To remove the purple weeds in the lawn, you should remove the dead plant parts as quickly as possible. You can prevent seed and fruit formation by cutting in a timely manner and completely removing all withered flowers.

Cut out the purple weeds

If creeping Günsel has made its way into the lawn, you should take radical action and cut out the purple weeds. Make sure that you remove all root pieces and the main root - unfortunately, pulling out the plant will not help in the long term. So work thoroughly and first loosen the soil around the plant with a hoe. Then gradually pull the roots out of the ground and voilà - this will remove the purple weeds from the lawn.

Install root barrier

Do you want to plant creeping Günsel but somehow stop its rapid spread? Then it is worth installing a root barrier when planting. Dig a planting hole and make sure that it is twice as large as the root ball. Place the root barrier in the hole and close everything with special clamps. Then you can plant the creeping Günsel as usual.