Ground elder is invading my lawn, will mowing make it spread more?
MATTHEW SAYS Where ground elder exists it can quickly become a problem due to its ability to spread by underground running roots. Interestingly, it isn’t native – the Romans brought it to Britain as a salad crop. Mowing is generally one of the recommended, non-chemical means of reducing and eradicating ground elder. Regularly removing the leaves of any plant takes away the ability to photosynthesise and thereby produce food, and not even the most pernicious weed can cope with that. It’s unlikely, therefore, that your mowing activities are going to cause the plant to spread, not least as it’s the roots rather than the foliage that runs. But if you want to be absolutely certain, make sure that you remove the grass clippings, rather than allowing them to mulch back into the lawn.