A new homeowner in Canada was disheartened to find a massive threat to the plants they were hoping to have in their backyard.
A Reddit user took to the r/gardening subreddit to post three pictures of ground cover that they discovered to be an invasive species.
"We moved into a home a little while back and this ground cover has slowly but surely taken over our ENTIRE backyard," the user explained. "What is it and how would we go about eradicating it so we can use our garden?"
A commenter revealed that the user was dealing with bishop's weed, a common invasive species that can wreak havoc on local ecosystems by outcompeting native plants for resources such as sunlight, water, and nutrients.
"It's a major invasive and a real pain to remove," the commenter added. "Pulling it is basically useless, it just comes right back and you have to deal with the debris, can't just throw it in the compost or your yard because it'll spread from that."
Without a way to properly remove the root of the bishop's weed, some users revealed they had success planting over it with grass that can put up a stout battle against it.
"I have plenty in my yard, I mow them down then plant grass. Grass is a pretty tough competitor, even for them," one commenter stated. "Combine that with mowing the area regularly, I've noticed they are less and less thriving. They're growing back smaller and smaller each time."
Another commenter took a much more forceful approach, stating, "We planted white clover over ours and pretty much choked it right out, we [cast] the seeds late fall then again in spring before anything had the chance to pop up!"
Indeed, planting clover or other plants, such as buffalo grass, can be a great strategy to help control invasive species in your yard. Clover is a low-cost, low-maintenance alternative to traditional grass that naturally crowds out weeds, including invasive species, by developing a deep root system. They require much less water and mowing than grass lawns, saving you time and money on upkeep — even if you only do a partial lawn replacement.
Clover lawns are also beneficial for the environment because they provide a habitat for pollinators like bees and butterflies, which are essential for maintaining local ecosystems.
Additionally, switching to a native plant lawn is an effective way to combat invasive species. Though invasive plants often outcompete native species for resources, a well-established native plant lawn can crowd out these unwanted invaders.
The original poster was grateful for the advice, especially the clover lawn suggestion, writing, "Love this, thanks!"
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