Hello Roseanne,

Creeping Charlie or ground ivy, is very persistent and requires multiple herbicide applications in order to be eradicated.

Please see this article from the University of Illinois: https://extension.illinois.edu/lawns/managing-creeping-charlie-lawns

The most effective herbicide for ground ivy contains a mixture of three herbicides: 2,4-D, MCPP and dicamba. There is also research that fluroxypyr and triclopyr work well as stand alone applications or in mixtures. Applications of herbicides are best made in the early spring and late fall, but always when the weed is actively growing. Late fall applications are especially effective because the plants are storing sugars in roots to survive winter, and will carry the systemic herbicide to the roots as well. It will require multiple applications to completely eradicate the creeping Charlie.

So why didn’t your fertilizer company’s applications work? Do you know if they used a liquid or a granular application? It could have been past the optimal time to apply. Or, if they applied a granular to dry foliage, it may not have stuck to the foliage and therefore wasn’t absorbed – limiting its effectiveness.

If you perform the applications yourself, always follow the instructions on the herbicide label.

Hope this helps.