Giersch is known to be extremely stubborn. The herb proliferates especially in spring, but can be kept in check by suffocation.
For many gardeners, goutweed is more than just a weed, because you can even eat it. However, if you don't want to have the plant in your garden, you can also fight it with other plants. Another option is to simply suffocate the goutweed.
Suffocate goutweed and get rid of it forever
Goutweed can be smothered with cardboard or non-woven material. © Stock&people/Imago
First, the goutweed spreads almost unnoticed at the edge of the garden, before it has taken over the lawn, bed or other shady locations in the garden before you know it. It may sound harsh, but the suffocation method is at least as effective in combating the umbellifer as plucking, the use of vinegar or sun.
To do this, proceed as follows:
- First, cut back the goutweed with the help of secateurs or a lawn mower
- Cover the area with fleece or cardboard boxes, which you then weigh down with stones or something else so that they do not fly away. The cover robs the goutweed of water and air and causes the herb to starve.
- To make the whole thing look prettier, you can cover the area with mulch or chopped bark. Depending on the severity of the infestation, you may need to leave the tarpaulin laid out for more than one season.
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The cultivation of other plants where the goutweed has spread can also help: potatoes, for example, form dense leaves, which in turn shade the soil and rob the weeds of water and nutrients.
