Has anyone used Roundup to kill Lilies of the Valley? Should I use it full strength or dilute it?
I should have listened to my mother but the picture on the front of the catalog looked soooo pretty. They are running rampant and you can hardly see some of the hostas in the bed. I just can't stand it anymore. I want to redo my neighbor's side of the bed where they are the worst and I think Roundup will be easier than digging them up. I dug a lot of them out from my side a few years ago.
You could try it, but sometimes the very invasive, root grown plants are only top killed by roundup. I might mix it strong, but I don't think you would need to use it concentrated.
Other herbicides or a combination of herbicides might work better, such as Brush-b-Gon or even the Spectracide Triple Strike.
I've found that digging it up with a spading fork, although back breaking, provides greater control in the long run.
If only we listened to our mothers. Can we show this thread to our children!
Actually I've had it growing in an area surrounding by 24" cement pavers and outlined before that with 5" plastic grass divider thingy, then another 5" of timbers. After 20 years, it's just now making into my hosta this last 3 years and what a mess. Thing is, I'd be afraid the way they grow that they didn't kill hosta if I sprayed them around them.
My mother threw hers over the back hill, that's about 90 degrees down 100 feet and they've been getting up and into her garden for years now! UGH! I dug probably 400 out last weekend along! Make sure you get every piece!
Thanks Chris and Karma. I won't waste my time and Roundup on them then. I may try it on a couple as an experiment but I'll just dig the rest up.
Isn't that the truth Jane?! Guess who gave me the Lilies of the Valley. At our old house we had a strip about 8 inches wide along one side of the house. It was bordered by a sidewalk and had a sidewalk in front and our patio in back. I had Lilies of the Valley planted at each end of the strip. In the 14 years that we lived there they never escaped. I wasn't planning on spraying. I was planning on using a paintbrush.
Here is something you could try
2 Cups Vinegar
1/4 Cup Salt
2 TBLS sunlight dish detergent (i don't know why sunlight?)
This is supposed to work on Bishops Weed but it is supposed to kill anything else you spray it on. I haven't tried it yet but will--if it ever cools off enough here to crawl around in the far jungle where this stuff is rampant.
I got this from another forum.
Mary Ann I know but I wondered why the recipe called for Sunlight dish soap--I wondered why any old dish soap wouldn't work just as well
I'm gonna try this on some stuff and see how it works, roundup doesn't always work well. I like Spectracide better but this would be a whole lot cheaper if it worked.
They are running rampant and you can hardly see some of the hostas in the bed. I just can't stand it anymore. 
I want to redo my neighbor's side of the bed where they are the worst and I think Roundup will be easier than digging them up. I dug a lot of them out from my side a few years ago. 
I won't waste my time and Roundup on them then. I may try it on a couple as an experiment but I'll just dig the rest up.
Guess who gave me the Lilies of the Valley. 
