I've been pulling and and spraying this weed since the winter months!!! Never had it before...looks soo much like prim rose but no blooms and doesn't grow as tall. I've cleaned my flower beds 3 times already and I'm sure it's just the beginning. I think the wind blew this invasive pest here from a bad place! If it's the same as mine it has long slinder running roots and more growths from those roots. Good luck..I'm about all tuckered out from fighting this thing!

I have this weed too!  As well as many others, that sprout out with the first warm day.  And my, how they love to grow close to another plant that you want to keep!  The roots get all entwined, and make it next to impossible to get them apart.  I use two methods of killing this, and other spring weeds.

• Use a hand tool especially for weeding.  It's a two pronged fork on the end of a 12" rod, and handle.  This goes right  under the weed's roots to get them loose enough to pull them up.  Ron's right about not tilling deeply, as it does bring dormant grass seeds to the surface.
• Use a hand held sprayer of round-up directly on the weed.  This should be done on a non-windy day, so the mist won't land on something else.  Round-up works only on the plant whose leaves you spray, and it does not "kill" the soil, as some mistakenly believe.

Good luck with your weeding project.

maw

 

Does it have small mauve flowers?  Looks like a creeper.  It is hard to make an accurate identification from your photo. 

All I can suggest is to pull it up and then mulch the area to help prevent them from re-growing.  Place several pages of newspaper over the area and then spread a few inches of mulch. 

If you are in the habit of turning your soil, or cultivating/tilling the soil, stop.  This brings weed seeds to the surface where they germinate in the presence of sunlight.  In most cases soil doesn't need to be disturbed except for planting.  Then mulch the disturbed area. 

Ron ~ zone 6b ~ Ontario

This weed grows faster then I can pull.  How do I control this in my flower beds. 

Thanks, Joel