this is a case for glyphosate (roundup or similar, cheaper if you buy it as Glyphosate from somewhere like Wilkinsons or similar). Water or spray it onto the foliage when the ground is damp, but no rain is forecast, and the plants are actively growing. Leave for a week or two, then repeat the treatment. Now wait a week and then dig, removing all the roots you find carefully. The glyphosate seems to kill off the fine, hairlike roots, making it possible to effectively dig the stuff out instead of it all just growing all over again.

Thanks Bamboo - it's all around some other plants I take it I would need to be quite careful?

I have very strong roundup (that I need to sign for when I buy it) for my gravel driveway - can I diluite and spray that on then?

No - go and buy ordinary glyphosate (or glyphosphate, as its sometimes called) or a roundup version of just that and nothing else. When you spray, don't get it on any other plants and don't spray more than you need to cover the weed - and it'll have to be a still day so the spray doesn't drift. I'm told by other people that repeat applications kill it off without the digging, but that's not been my experience.

Now I'm spot treating individual weeds mixed in with plants I want and not whole car parks, paths etc I make up a small amount of glyphosate, thicken it up with a little wallpaper paste and paint it on with a paintbrush. If you do get a dab on a plant you want you can wash it off, or pick off the affected leaf if you do it pretty soon after contamination.

I read somewhere that they ate their ground elder, then were annoyed because it disappeared!!! so maybe just picking off the leaves might stop it growing. Vileve

Thanks everyone -

Beattie you are the most patient gardner ! I am afraid mine is in huge swathes!

I'll have a go with a small spray gun as Bamboo suggested.

I cannot see us eating it somehow, Vileve unless it's the next big thing in diets - and then I'm rich :)

Happy gardening

It was brought over by the romans and can be eaten like spinach, but only when no flowers have opened as it then has a bitter taste and can have a laxative effect!! So maybe try wilting in a little olive oil and garlic and add to pasta. Tells you more about it here ....

http://kitchengardenblog.com/2010/03/24/rogues-gallery-ground-elder/