Wild carrots?

[Dog Rose]

When reclaiming part of the garden we found out why it had been left to nettles. It seems as though it was once a vegetable patch. What we suspect are a variety of wild carrots, with the characteristic leaves and long white tubers, have sprouted through the turf. The first year we dug them out, but didn't manage to get them all before they went to seed. This year they seem to have spread.

Does anyone have any advice on how to get rid of them? We don't want to use a pesticide or weedkiller as we want to plant in that area, but we can't risk eating them as they are an unknown plant.

 

[Nancy]

Nettles are very healthy!! I dry them and brew them in with my tea. They are extremely high in vitamins and minerals.

I mulch my garden. That usually takes care of most of the weeds. A layer of cardboard or thick newspapers will help speed up the process. Cover that with whatever you can find or get - leaves, grass clippings, straw, etc. You can open up a little hole or row to plant in. When the plants get big enough, push the mulch around them.

 

[marlingardener]

Wildrose, if you have something that looks like a carrot, it could be wild parsley (edible, but not very tasty.) You are very wise to not eat anything if you aren't 100% sure of the identity.
If you want to eradicate the "carroty" plant, put some plain white vinegar in a spray bottle, adjust the spray to jet and squirt each carrot thing. Vinegar, while an herbicide, doesn't linger in the ground and cause problems later.