In this week’s edition of Gardentalk, Master Gardener Ed Buyarski recommends smothering buttercups with cardboard and then layering over with clean garden soil. Buttercups should be covered before they flower and disperse their seeds. The plant, an invasive species imported from Europe, also sends out runners like strawberries.
As long as the layer of soil under the cardboard is not disturbed, the buttercup seeds should remain dormant.
Buyarski also notes there are gardener-favorite flowers like delphinium and columbine that are part of the buttercup family, but they are not considered invasive.
“These are cultivated, garden-selected varieties that are great plants in the garden,” Buyarski said. “They do extremely well here.
Listen to the May 25 edition about buttercups:
Gardentalk is a weekly feature that airs every Thursday morning on KTOO’s Morning Edition program. You can sign up for the podcast or ask your own question for gardening help by going to the Gardentalk archive page.
