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Can anyone identify these leaves growing amongst my crocosmia ?

ireneatkinsonireneatkinson Posts: 10
in Problem solving
My crocosmia pots have clumps of unidentified leaves growing amongst the plant leaves.  They are smallish and have serrated edges.  
I dug up the crocosmia plant from my neighbour's garden when they were laying paving on the spot where the crocosmia had been growing.
I live in the north west of England.
Please can anyone tell me what they are and what I need to do about it ?
Irene A

Posts

  • ButtercupdaysButtercupdays Posts: 4,505
    Top one could be wild strawberry. Can be a bit of a nuisance but not too hard to control.
    Bottom one is ground elder. You don't want it!
    Dig up the crocosmia,  remove every trace of the thick white roots and then keep it in a pot till you are sure you got it all.
    Check along the neighbour's fence for infiltrators and deal with them!

  • ireneatkinsonireneatkinson Posts: 10
    Thank you so much for your reply.
    My crocosmia are in pots, I have two of them.
    Should I turn them out completely and pull out the infiltrators, then report just the crocosmia bulbs ?
  • ireneatkinsonireneatkinson Posts: 10
    Sorry - Repot, not report
  • plant pauperplant pauper Posts: 6,904
    Absolutely! You really really do not want ground elder in your garden. Folk have been trying to get rid of it since the Romans introduced it! ( some people on this forum are that old and are still digging it out!!!).
  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,743
    dab the ground elder with Roundup gel.
    Devon.
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,088
    Even better, dab both with roundup, I think you can get a gel to rub on the leaves, failing that, use a paint brush.
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • ireneatkinsonireneatkinson Posts: 10
    Thanks, your help is much appreciated
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