Last Updated on May 2, 2022 by Fabiola L.
Using dicamba herbicide for creeping Charlie is a great way to get rid of this invasive weed for good. This pesticide stimulates the plant’s growth hormone leading to excessive growth and dead. But how does a pesticide with dicamba affect your garden?
Crawling weeds can be suitable for people who want to cover a section of their garden or house. But these aggressive growers like creeping Charlie kill everything in their way. So you can forget about growing flowers nearby the invasive weed.
Weed is a significant problem not only in city gardens but in agriculture. Scientists dedicated a lot of time and research to help struggling farmers and gardeners. Since 1967 the dicamba herbicide for creeping Charlie and other weeds has been a staple in the shed.
What Is Creeping Charlie
Creeping Charlie or Glechoma hederacea is an invasive weed not native to North America. It was brought to the continent by early European settlers who used it to provide shade and coverage in their gardens.
The creeping Charlie thrives in humid and shady areas and multiplies by seeds and creeping stems. It’s perennial, so it’s there for good once it settles in your garden.
How to recognize creeping Charlie? It has small, green, kidney-shaped leaves with crimped edges. The stems are thin and light green and produce small purple flowers. If you break a stem of the creeping Charlie and press it between your fingers, you’ll notice a mint-like smell. These flowers produce seeds that help the creeping Charlie take over your garden.
Why Is Creping Charlie Bad For Your Garden
Creeping Charlie spreads immensely fast over your turf, garden, and walls. It can cover your garden, sucking up the moisture from the soil and depriving your other plants.
There are cases where creeping Charlie grows over the turf and kills the grass. It overtakes other plants’ roots and deprives them of nutrients. Luckily, your garden doesn’t have to suffer. You can resort to dicamba herbicide for creeping Charlie and restore the balance.
What Is Dicamba Herbicide
Registered in 1967, the dicamba herbicide for creeping Charlie and other weeds is a powerful tool. But what is dicamba herbicide?
It’s a mix of dicamba acid, dimethylamine, sodium, diglycoamine, isopropylamine, and potassium salts. However, dicamba on its own is too strong and volatile. As a result, this herbicide can become airborne, transferring to other crops and destroying them.
Due to its volatility, dicamba herbicide for creeping Charlie was on the verge of being permanently banned.
How It Works
The dicamba herbicide for creeping Charlie is highly effective on broadleaf plants. All plant parts, including leaf, stem, and roots, absorb the herbicide. It works in mimicking the natural growth hormone in the plants.
It speeds up the growing process, which might sound good at first. However, this overwhelms the plant and its natural process, resulting in a quick death.
Use dicamba herbicide for creeping Charlie, and it will be dead in 2 to 3 weeks.
What does dicamba herbicide kill despite creeping Charlie? You can use it to fight broadleaf weeds, including horseweed, morning glory, wild poinsettia tropical spiderwort, and common purslane.
Is It Safe
Dicamba is rated as low toxicity. However, if you inhale it, it can cause nausea, dizziness, irritate the throat and lead to coughing. If it comes in contact with skin, it might cause mild irritation.
The dicamba herbicide for creeping Charlie is safe for pets like cats and dogs after it has dried. You need to keep all animals that feed on the grass away from the treated area for 7 to 10 days. Then, let them return after you’ve removed the treated weeds.
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It’s also safe for fish, birds, and other wildlife. Half of the amount of dicamba breaks down in the first 2 months.
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Best Time To Apply Dicamba Herbicide
If left untreated, weeds like creeping Charlie can invade your whole garden. The perfect time to apply herbicide is fall. At this season the plant prepares for winter, stores energy in its roots so it will absorb the herbicide with ease.
So how much dicamba does it take to kill creeping Charlie? Since there are different products, we suggest closely following the manufacturer’s instructions.
Don’t use dicamba herbicide for creeping Charlie if the plant is wet or the soil is waterlogged. Don’t apply if there’s a chance of rain in the following 5 hours.
Thoroughly spray all parts of the weed’s foliage. Dicamba works best on actively growing weeds. Let it do its work in the following 2 to 3 weeks.
So does dicamba kill creeping Charlie for good? Sadly no, it can grow again from any seeds or leftover roots. Make sure to remove the creeping Charlie once it has dried to prevent it from growing again in the next season.
Alternative Ways To Kill Creeping Charlie
Dicamba herbicide for creeping Charlie can be airborne and affect other plants. Therefore, manufacturers try to pair this highly effective herbicide with ingredients that prevent volatility.
But if your garden is small and you don’t want to risk any consequences, there are alternative ways to kill creeping Charlie.
Check Out What Are The Most Common Weeds In Oregon?
Vinegar
In combination with Epsom salt, white vinegar can be very effective for creeping Charlie. Fill a spray bottle with vinegar and a generous amount of salt. Apply well, covering all parts of the weed. Spray on a dry, sunny day with no winds.
Borax
You’ll need 5 oz Borax, 1.5 gallons of water, and a spray bottle for this solution. First, dissolve the Borax in 5 oz warm water and then add the rest of it. Next, fill up a spray bottle and apply thoroughly. Repeat the process in 2 weeks, and your creeping Charlie will be gone.
Bottom Line: Why Use Dicamba Herbicide For Creeping Charlie
Invasive weeds can be the death of your garden. They spread out fast, consuming all the moisture and nutrients from the soil and overtaking the roots of other plants. But the good news is you can safely remove them!
Using dicamba herbicide for creeping Charlie is a fast way to get rid of this weed. Even though it was slightly controversial in the past, new formulas are less volatile and airborne.
FAQ’s
Does dicamba kill creeping Charlie?
Dicamba kills creeping Charlie in 2 to 3 weeks after application. It enters the plant's roots, leaves, and stems and mimics its growth hormone. This overwhelms the plant, and it eventually dies.
What is Dicamba herbicide?
Dicamba herbicide is a mix of acids and salts developed to tackle broadleaf weeds. A herbicide with dicamba might contain up to 40% of the chemical.
What does dicamba herbicide kill?
Dicamba effectively kills a wide range of broadleaf weeds like morning glory and creeping Charlie, but it doesn't affect grasses.
How much dicamba does it take to kill creeping Charlie?
Dilute dicamba according to the manufacturer's instructions and use it as a spot treatment. Then, use a spray bottle and cover the whole plant. A single application should be enough to kill the weed.
Find more about Dicamba Creeping Charlie – The Use Of Herbicides To Avoid Weeds – 5 Best Tips
Mary is a passionate gardener who loves spending her days getting her hands dirty and nurturing her plants. She‘s an avid reader of gardening magazines and is always looking for new ways to make her garden thrive. When not outside tending to her plants, Mary can be found inside reading up on the latest gardening trends, comparing notes with fellow gardeners, and finding the perfect pottery planter for her next planting project.
