Giersch: Alternatives for the unpopular weed

Once you have him in the garden, you are quickly no longer in control of him - Giersch. We show how to get rid of it or alternatively use it.

Each of us has certainly experienced it before: In spring, the first weeds are weeded in the beds. The Giersch (Aegopodium podagraria) plucked out between your favorite plants and you plan to put your feet up for the next few weeks. But after just one to two weeks, the next leaves sprout again, bursting with strength towards the sun. What is the tireless fountain of youth of this pesky wild herb?

Ground elder forms a dense network of rhizomes. These are underground shoot axes from which the young shoots sprout again and again. The rhizomes of the ground elder are extremely vigorous and can spread rapidly. One might think, of course, that the spade and rigorous digging can help and that the umbelliferae (Apiaceae) from the garden. But even the divided rhizomes can still sprout, unless they have been completely removed from the bed in detail. We will show you how you can regain control of your bed or even how to love the ground elder.

Giersch - ways to get rid of it

Regular removal
If the leaves of the ground elder are repeatedly removed, the plant with its subterranean rhizome system is increasingly weakened. Ultimately, sooner or later this leads to an undersupply and death. But in most cases it takes a lot of patience to achieve that.

Intensive tillage
If the ground elder is in an area where there are no other plants, one can consider digging up carefully. The plants with the complete rhizome and root system have to be removed. Likewise, in extreme cases, the earth could be excavated and filled with new earth. However, if you do not know where the soil comes from, it can just as easily be “contaminated” with rhizome parts or germinable seeds of the ground elder.

Cover area
The entire area can also be covered with a fleece and an approximately 10 cm thick layer of mulch. The permanent deprivation of light ensures that the rhizome slowly but surely dies. But this takes about two years and even then there may still be germinable seeds in the soil, which will provide for the next generation of ground elder.

Planting potatoes
Potatoes can also be planted where the ground elder grows to drive away the ground elder. The potato plants grow faster than the ground elder. As a result, they deprive it of nutrients and water. After all, they put it completely in the shade, and in this case too, the lack of light causes the ground elder to stunt. A pleasant side effect: the potato harvest.

Chemical plant protection products
This should absolutely be the last weapon in your own garden that you use to get rid of the growing weeds. In addition, when choosing the herbicide, it is important to ensure that weedkillers that are effective against common weeds do not really help ground grass. Parts of the rhizomes usually still survive and can sprout again unimpressed. However, special remedies for home gardening are available on the market, which are more promising in the fight against groundgrass.

Giersch - alternative uses

Giersch can, however, also be seen from a different angle. In the Middle Ages, for example, the umbelliferae were specifically cultivated due to their avoidable effectiveness against gout and rheumatism. However, its healing power could not be confirmed. But what is certain is that it can boast high levels of iron, potassium, carotene and vitamin C. In combination with its spicy taste reminiscent of parsley, it is also ideal as a salad vegetable. When cooked, it is traded as an adequate substitute for spinach from your own garden. In principle, however, only young, fresh leaves should be used. These should also be harvested before flowering. With increasing age, ground elder can have a laxative effect and the leaves also become fibrous. Theoretically, the flower can be lengthened by snapping it out. But if a part of the above-ground shoots is removed again and again, this also promotes the new growth of the rhizome buds.

Ways to use groundgrass in the kitchen

• as leaf greens in lettuce
• cooked as an alternative to spinach
• in a spicy herbal spread
• processed into pesto
• as a component in a green herb smoothie
• Giersch can be frozen fresh and is available all year round as required

Giersch can therefore be much more than a nuisance. But now you shouldn't just plant groundweed in your possibly groundwater-free garden. If you also want to harvest the leafy vegetables for fresh lettuce at home, a rhizome barrier is advisable. Dig this barrier, which is supposed to protect against the uncontrolled growth of the underground rhizomes, a good 50 cm into the ground and let a few centimeters look out of the bed at the top. It would of course be even safer if you grow the undemanding plant in a pot. Make sure that the seeds cannot spread uncontrollably and that the ground elder can be found in various other places in the garden the next. This way you can be sure that in a few years you won't have to pluck the unpleasant groundweed week after week out of your beloved garden beds.