Weed ID and Extermination

We have been digging up this obnoxious weed for several years now and this year they literally took off and are overtaking my day lilies and other plants. They grow up through the plants, mixing in with the plant roots. The stems are long and tubular with a cluster of tiny white flowers at the top. The roots are numerous teeny, pearl-like bulblets that make one large bulb. Even when we're careful to dig deep and remove carefully, the tiny bulblets invariably break off and re-seat themselves. And, we have to bag and trash them lest they re-infect wherever you lay them in the yard. Sometimes they have a very faint onion scent. Are these wild onions? DH says he thinks we will have to dig up the whole bed this fall, shake the soil through a screen then replant. He can hardly wait! Ha. Any suggestions on how to eradicate this mess? Thanks for any help that's offered.

granny, would it be possible to post a close-up photo of what look like the seed pods and/or flowers? You might consider bagging a plant and taking it in to your local ag agent. For some expensive reason, they are no longer the Cooperative Extension Service.

If I can get my camera charged up again, I'll try for another shot, closer to the floral top. Your suggestion about the local ag agent is a good one. Will try to follow up on that one. Thanks for your response.

Hello...new here, but maybe I can help with this one. I bet you are referring to chives.
I started out with one plant, and they have naturalized all over the place. The tops are great chopped up on baked potatoes, when young.

I guess that I should have added....they seed so readily that if you don't get them before they bloom, they will be all over the place in no time. They are very invasive. I dig them out with a trowel, as they are too hard to pull and leave the bulbs in the ground.

looks like Allium triquetrum to me-- a horribly invasive species that gives alliums such a bad name. They are notorious for breaking of bulblets underground and every single one seems to grow. Some of the Allium canadense species are just as bad but at least the bublets on those are formed above ground and are easier to deal with.

Common edible garden chives are really pretty easy to eradicate.

shaking and screening probably won't work--best get what you want to save out of the bed first and then that frees you to take more drastic measures to remove it as you see fit.

I was afraid that the screening might not be enough. Perhaps a thorough Roundup throughout the bed after removing the plants? Too harsh? I'll need to check the "cure" with some local experts. Sheesh! Sounds like a major job.

which experts were you considering?

Don't have any particular ones in mind. Thought I'd give Redenta's a call and, of course, Google for a remedy now that I have an ID. I'd welcome your suggestions.

When I Googled for extermination of Allium triquetrum, I found this: "Chemical Control Glyphosate 10ml/L or Amitrole 16ml/L or Metsulphuron 5gr/100L. Use Glyphosate when spraying around desireable plants, such as in home gardens or orchards as residues from Amitrole and Metsulphuron may be harmful if sprayed or washed to their root zones."

Looks like further research is due.

Granny, it looks like what you have might have what we call Garlic chives, I have them too, and they can be a pain when they go where they are not wanted, but I just pull them up since I garden organically and don't want to use chemicals, it doesn't get rid of them but it slows them down and makes them bearable.
Josephine.

not common garlic chives

I really don't know if what I have is common garlic chives, most likely not, but the lady who gave them to me many years ago who lived on a farm called them that.
The leaves on mine are flat like garlic but a lot narrower, and they make the little bulbs on the tops after they bloom, as well as in the soil.

The more I read, the more I believe that dmj1218 is correct in her ID and that they are not garlic chives. Truly,there is no pulling them up...rather, it's a dig deep, remove soil and hope the bulblets don't break apart and drop back in the soil. They are indeed a pain, though. I also garden organically, so when I discovered that one of the glysophsate products is Roundup, I said, No, mercy, No. I don't like any of the chemical extermination, so it's back to the research. I just wish I knew what made them balloon forward this year so drastically. I had been mildly successful in digging them up all these years, but all of a sudden, this year, they got together and agreed to really give me a fit. They seem to be everywhere! Thanks, guys. I'll keep you posted on what I find out and trust that perhaps more information will continue to come my way.

I'll stay out of it, after all, what would I know about bulbs?

You know a lot about bulbs Debbie, more than most of us.
I am probably calling them the wrong name, I just never have been able to get a definite ID on them, but the truth is I haven't tried very hard, it would be nice to get a proper ID on mine though. The problem right now is that I just cut their tops off so the wouldn't spread, so i may have to wait, but i would love it if you could get to the bottom of it for me.
Josephine.

Speaking of things exploding this year -- I have *never* had so many dandelions in my yard. Is anyone else seeing an increase in those things?

Carla

we had a very dry winter down here which was perfect for the multitudes of Allium species I've tried to grow--but those conditions also help the bad members of the family, so to speak

dandilions and another small yellow flowered thing have been really prolific here too this year

It seems everything in my yard has gone crazy. I had 600 bucks worth of mulch put on my beds in early spring and sprinkled Preen on them to try to keep the weeds from sprouting. I've got a bumper crop of weeds in spite of all that effort. I've about decided Preen is weed seeds in disguise! I just figure it's my morning ritual to pull weeds as soon as the sprinkler system goes off. It's cheaper therapy than a shrink. :)

My daily ritual of pulling are all tree seedlings, pecan, oak, hackberry and cherry laurel. I don't have all of those in my yard but my neighbors do and the seeds find my soft beds a perfect place to germinate. Wonder what would happen some spring if allowed all of the tree seedlings to grow? Couldn't find my home behind them I'm sure.

Christi

been a bumper year for oak seedlings here too--always amazes me how they manage to germinate and grow with 8" on mulch over them--last year, I was pulling very few

They are even in my raised veggie garden. Think the squirrels helped that along. Don't find them until them 6-8" tall and by then the tap root goes to China.

LOL Debbie!

"another small yellow flowered thing"

I took a class when I lived in Kerrville from someone who was a Master Gardener and expert on wildflowers. She called 'em DYTs--"darn yellow things"!

Stephanie

good Stephanie--I was thinking along similar lines but a quite bit harsher, I think its called bindweed but I don't know--all I know is its a weed that gets on my "darn" nerves, and I don't even want to know the scientific names of my weeds.....

nut grass, bermuda grass, ragweed, and that "darn" yellow thing that comes up in the pots of my bulb seedlings and drives me crazy is enough for me to know--oh, and that blue day flower that starts coming up this time of year too that just loves my nice lush soil

;)