Weed Control for Impossibles?

On a completely unrelated topic to the recent talk
about edibles, I was hoping someone might have some
suggestions for effectively dealing with next to
indestructable weeds that are some of the most
problematic for me in many of my own landscape
projects.  

Amongst the two bulbous weeds that I find impossible
to control with chemical  herbicides, they both have
in common the habit of rapid division of miniscule
bulbs, winter growth, and resistance to chemical
herbicides.  The weeds I am talking about; that
obnoxious South American bulb Nothoscordum inodorum,
and the equally persistant South African Oxalis
pes-caprae.  Of the two, I probably have more problems
with the Nothoscordum, as even with screening of soil
and hand digging, it seems impossible to control, and
Round-Up has no effect at all. I understand this
particular weed has also been a real problem down at
the Huntington Botanical Garden, and readily spreads
to take over large areas of grounds. 
  
Does anyone have any suggestions for
control/elimination of these two pests from existing
gardens?  I actually do have an opportunity to use
herbicides if there are any that work, as it is a new
garden that has no existing plants to be protected.  I
was contemplating the Lasagna method of newspaper and
mulch, but have found that with the Oxalis, this has
not quite killed all of it even when kept in place(I
used plastic rather than newspaper), after 6 years of
absolutely no sun and top growth.  Once removed, there
was still regrowth of the Oxalis, although greatly
weakened.

Anyone have any suggestions of what has worked for
them?  I have even considered removing the top 6
inches of soil and starting fresh, escept it is a
fairly low budget landscape project for a very large
garden area, and that would be a budget breaker.  In
the meantime, all I can say, is that I wouldn't wish
the Nothoscordum on my worst enemy, and have yet to
defeat it in any garden where I am dealing with it.

Thanks,
David Feix


		
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