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Container Gardening

How Do I Get Rid Of Those Horrible Wild Onions?

18 years ago

I have what I call wild onions (maybe they are wild chives)growing all around the front perimeter of my house. I painstakingly dug each one out, one at a time (each with it's little onion bulb) last year, and they stayed away for 2 months. Then I saw them come back one at a time until now they have multiplied everywhere. They are tall, green, and curly on the tips. They seem to smother my bushes and they look like tall weeds from the street view. Is there a way to permanently remove them? I don't want to shoot them with a chemical that may be harmful to my adjacent plants and bushes.

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Comments (10)

lilion
18 years ago
Try pouring boiling water on them or even better pull them and then pour boiling water on the roots left behind. That should work without chemicals being needed.
OUTofSPITE
18 years ago
LOL!
This brings back memories!
When I was about 6 years old I used to pull them up & try to sell them. I made a sign - "Fresh Onions - Just Picked! 5 cents a bunch" & sat in front of my house. Believe it or not, I actually made about a dollar.
Of course people bought them because I was "cute" - not because they needed onions.
It also helped that I sold 5 bunches to my grandfather.
LOL!
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june81948
Original Author
18 years ago
someone told me not to pull them up but VERY carefully dig them out one at a time being very careful not to disturb the roots since that is how they spread.
Mike Larkin
18 years ago
use a small shovel and carefully dig out, If you pull them out - the small bulbets on the side of each bulb come off and regrow in the same spot.
garden_grammie
18 years ago
We sprayed them with Weed Be Gone and they turned yellow and died. I use to dig them as well but that is abit too much to do.
shellva
18 years ago
Sadly there is no EASY non-chemical way to get rid of them. I hand pull and in late fall I put down thick layers of either paperbags or cardboard then mulch on top of that. Some of course still mangage to poke through but those I go after with a shovel. It is a long and tedious process and I'm certain that when all is said and done, the onions will still be here and I won't be! ;)
HerbLady49
18 years ago
Soil where wild onions grow is usually very acid. Spread lime to alkalize your soil and you will find that you get less wild onions. Do not lime near acid loving plants.
june81948
Original Author
18 years ago
Concerning the acid soil and onions. I have arborvitae bushes, holly bushes, and mountain laurels where the wild onions are. They are growing in droves under and around the bushes. I would like to lime, but are these kinds of bushes affected by the lime? Also plant geraniums there too. Would they be okay with the lime? Would I just spread the lime on top of the soil or mix it into the soil?
Janice
HerbLady49
18 years ago
Hi Janice,
Sorry, you can't lime around these bushes. I guess you'll have to dig out the wild onions. Water well so the soil is softer and digging will be easier and then mulch.
tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
16 years ago
Is there no end to the brass these people have? Scheesch!

It's just a commercial, folks. Scheesch!

Al

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