Hi Jason,

Thank you for reaching out to the UVM Extension Master Gardener Program with your question about Creeping Charlie. As you probably have heard, Creeping Charlie plants are very hard to totally eradicate from where they are not wanted. When it is pulled out of the ground, it has the kind of roots that break and every piece could develop into a new plant. From what I have read, it takes consistent work, possibly even over a number of years. We have it coming into the edge of a sunny part of our lawn but we let it stay because it is green and it attracts pollinators.

Here are 2 sources of information that explain how Creeping Charlie might get established in shady or degraded soils. The first one recommends that you get the soil tested so you can see if you need to alter the makeup of the soil to make the weed less likely to spread. It explains that you should reseed with grasses that can thrive in those conditions so that the Creeping Charlie has some competition. The second article is also very informative. (Please note that I can’t give you any recommendation for chemical remedies but if you intend to go that route, please make sure that Creeping Charlie is specifically on the label and that you follow the directions completely. )

https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/controlling-creeping-charlie/#:~:text=Creeping%20Charlie%20thrives%20in%20moist%20shade.,%2Danisic%20acid

https://extension.illinois.edu/lawns/managing-creeping-charlie-lawns

The third paragraph of the following article explains considerations to think about when planting grass into the area of the lawn where the Creeping Charlie has been taken out.

https://turf.umn.edu/news/creeping-charlie-management-and-value-pollinators

If you intend to determine if the soil makeup is different where the Creeping Charlie is invading, the following 2 links explain the process involved with getting a soil test and how to interpret the results so you have an idea of the process.

https://www.uvm.edu/extension/agricultural-and-environmental-testing-lab

https://mail.google.com/mail/u/1/?ogbl#search/uvm++soil+test/FMfcgzGsmhSGvBNSlBRnTNNcSPHTgSGV?projector=1&messagePartId=0.1

I hope this information is useful in controlling the Creeping Charlie weed on your property. Thank you for your question,

Hi Jason,

I am so sorry, that last link was supposed to be  https://www.uvm.edu/vtvegandberry/factsheets/InterpretingSoilTests.pdf. 

I wanted you to see what information you could get out of a soil sample result