Climbing plants are often invasive and can be particularly difficult to kill. Perseverance is key but, of course, it's helpful to know which physical or chemical removal methods have proven most effective against these weeds.
Steps
Part 1 of 4: Knowing the Enemy
Step 1. Know what awaits you
Creepers are often one of the most difficult weeds to get rid of. They grow quickly and tend to take root in other areas as they expand, so they can quickly cover other areas and attach themselves to trees, buildings and other plants.
- You will almost never be able to get rid of vines in one fell swoop. Once the fight begins, be ready for a long and tough battle against these weeds.
- You may be more successful if you use multiple control methods. For example, the combination of physical removal plus chemical control often sees better results than using just one of these options.
Step 2. Determine the exact vine species
Many vines behave in a similar way, so the same basic techniques can be used regardless of which type of creeper you are tackling. If you are having a hard time, however, take the time to find out which type of creeper you are trying to eradicate. This way you may discover other methods of killing her.
- You could ask for an expert's opinion or post pictures online, through social media or gardening forums, asking for the opinion of others who may have dealt with similar cases in the past.
- Wisteria creepers are easily identified by the small, fragrant purple, pink and white flowers that appear in spring and mid / late summer. They are particularly aggressive climbers.
- Kudzu is another aggressive type of climbing plant. This species also has purple flowers, but these have a sweeter scent than those of Wisteria and not as strong. The creeper can grow up to 30 cm in one day.
- Trumpets are invasive and can become difficult to manage, but they are not as hardy as the Kudzu and other more aggressive species. You can usually identify them by their trumpet-shaped flowers.
- Blackberry brambles are easy to identify thanks to their fruit. These climbing plants are also considered harmful weeds, though, as wild blackberries can quickly spread to other areas and steal resources from other plants.
Part 2 of 4: Physical Control Measurements
Step 1. Pull out or extract the vines with your hands
If the creeper is still quite small, you should be able to trace the roots. Pull out the roots by hand or use a shovel or shovel to fully extract the root system.
- For best results, do this when the soil is moist and soft. You will be able to move more land this way, gaining better access to the root system.
- It takes out the entire root system, including underground roots, bulbs, tubers or rhizomes. If you don't remove everything, some of the remaining roots may stick to the soil and start growing again.
- Be aware that you may need to extract vine seedlings regularly for several months or years to get the problem under control.
Step 2. Cut off the surface vines
While pulling out the roots is an essential step if you want to get rid of a creeper entirely, you also need to cut and remove weeds attached to buildings, fences, trees, or other surfaces.
- If you leave these external elements alive, it is possible for the creeper to establish new roots and continue to grow and expand.
- Do not use vines as compost after cutting them. By adding them to an outdoor compost, you may end up adding roots to it, and when that compost is then used, it could end up causing a new climbing problem.
Step 3. Cutting the vines is not enough
You may be tempted to believe that cutting the vines at the base is enough to solve the problem, but as long as the roots remain, the creeper will survive. Additionally, cutting a creeper may even stimulate faster and more vigorous growth, depending on the species.
Step 4. Choke the creeper
Many climbing species require large amounts of light and oxygen. If you can cover the creeper with cut grass or mulch, you may be able to deprive it of enough light and air to kill it. Make sure that the mulch layer is complete, though, and that no pieces of vine stick out.
Similarly, you could cover the vines with a plastic sheet. You will deprive the plant of air but not of light. Unlike other covers, a plastic one can cause a rapid rise in heat, which could eliminate the creeper
Step 5. Use animals
If you have a lot of land and the resources to care for animals, consider using goats or cattle to kill vines. Goats are famous for their voracious appetite, and are thus able to keep creepers at bay and prevent them from expanding further.
Make sure the vines in your area are non-toxic to animals if you use this option
Step 6. Pour boiling water over the vines
For vines that aren't as invasive, you may be able to kill new shoots or cut them by pouring boiling water over them. You may not get great results, but it can be an alternative to chemical herbicides.
Step 7. Consider hiring gardening experts
If you want to resort to physical control but don't have the strength to do it, you might want to consider hiring a team of professionals to do the bulk of the work in the beginning.
Note that you will still need to periodically continue removing any plants that try to grow. It is an operation that can always be done by salaried professionals, but it is quite easy compared to the initial part of the job, so you may be able to do it yourself without any problems
Part 3 of 4: Chemical Control
Step 1. Evaluate the area
The chemical herbicides that are most effective against creepers are usually non-selective, so they can kill plants that you would like to safeguard if you are not careful enough. If there is really no way to treat the vine without killing the other plants, you may want to use only physical control methods.
If the vines are close to other plants but not exactly on them, you may be able to adequately protect these plants by covering them with foil or plastic bags
Step 2. Spray them with a systemic herbicide
Use about a quarter of a liter bottle or smaller. Choose a systemic herbicide labeled for use against creepers. You need to use enough herbicide to completely wet the foliage of the creeper. Be careful though, as applying too much herbicide can cause the soil to overflow and could damage the soil and nearby plants.
- There are a couple of schools of thought on the best time to spray a herbicide. Some argue that you should do this right away, on the intact creeper. Others say you should cut it back, allow it to re-sprout, and then spray the new growths.
- You need to wet only the foliage of the creeper. Chemical agents are absorbed by the leaves and enter the plant into circulation. Once inside, the poison travels to the roots and kills the creeper entirely.
- If you have weed-filled vines, look for glyphosate or triclopyr acid. For woody vines, use acid tricloplir but opt for glyphosate if you have to fight herbaceous vines.
- You may also want to consider using a herbicide with some combination of dicamba or 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid. Bear in mind that these tend to be even more dangerous to use.
- Be aware that even powerful herbicides may not have full effect against some vines, such as kudzu.
Step 3. Add water, but make the mixture 5 times stronger than you would normally spray
You need to fill the bottle about halfway with the mixture.
Step 4. Find a safe spot on the ground near the vine
You will leave the bottle there and don't want it to be knocked over or broken.
Step 5. Find a fresh shoot that reaches the bottle without breaking the stem or find more than one
Sometimes you have to take some of the vine down to get a shoot of the desired length, as the next step will need to be stuffed into the bottle.
Step 6. Insert a bud of the vine into the bottle
You want it to stay submerged, so you can't put one that tends to come out.
Step 7. Leave it submerged
In a week or two or three, the creeper will die. Leave the bud in the bottle even after it fades, as the vine will continue to assimilate the herbicide, and you can continue to eliminate all parts of the vine.
Part 4 of 4: Treating Well Rooted Creepers
Step 1. Identify situations where normal chemical control cannot be used
If you have large, rooted vines spreading over trees, shrubs, or fences, it will be impossible for you to spray chemical herbicides in the usual way without affecting your surroundings.
- There is, however, a way to use chemicals to kill vines like these.
- This method tends to be more successful when done in the fall.
Step 2. Cut the vine
Use sharp gardener scissors to cut the vine near the base, leaving about 7.5-10cm of vine sticking out of the ground.
- The stub you leave behind should be quite short, but there must be enough left to work on it without difficulty.
- Some vines can be cut with pruning shears, while others may require the use of a hacksaw.
Step 3. Apply herbicide to the stub
Treat the cut portion of the stump with undiluted triclopyr acid. Apply enough to coat the entire cut.
- Work fast. You need to apply the herbicide while the cut is still fresh.
- Treating the stub with herbicide prevents new sprouting. The creeper will absorb the chemicals from the cut, and once absorbed they will travel to the root system killing the creeper from the base.
- For particularly hardy vines, such as Wisteria, you can use a drilling technique. After creating a stub, drill a 2.5cm hole in it and any remaining vine pieces using a 3mm bit. The holes should be 6mm apart. Apply the herbicide to both the cut stump and the holes.
Step 4. Get rid of the rest of the vine
Usually, the portion of the vine that is woven into the fence, tree or shrub will die on its own once it is detached from the root system. Once this part of the vine begins to wilt, you can easily remove it by hand.
Step 5. Be consistent
This technique is often successful, but you may still need to act on the creeper several times if it has taken root in multiple places.
There is also a risk that the creepers will grow back after you have taken care of them for the first time. You are fighting an everlasting battle, so you should be ready to treat any creepers that reappear as soon as you notice the first regrowth
Advice
- Once you remove the vines from your soil, the best strategy is to prevent them from re-entering. Build a tall fence or such barrier, and make sure it pushes at least 10cm into the ground. You could also build barriers with cut grass or other mulch.
- After removing vines from an area, it is often a good idea to plant dense, hardy vegetation in their place. This will prevent new seedlings from being born.
Warnings
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Wash your clothes immediately.
- Wash your entire skin surface twice with lots of soap, paying particular attention to the face, arms and legs. You must do this within 20 minutes of contact with the poisonous plant. Don't leave out any areas.
- Get rid of the cut parts so that no one can come into contact with them. 'Never burn poison ivy, oak or poison sumac. The smoke that carries the oil of these fragments (urusciolo) can cause an allergic reaction in sensitive individuals that can affect their respiratory system to a level that is life threatening.
- Use thick gloves when pulling out vines and using herbicides.
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Be sure to identify poisonous species before you begin removing vines. If the creeper is poison ivy, poison oak, or poison sumac, take special precautions:
- Avoid coming into contact with parts of the plant.
- Thoroughly clean all tools (including handles).
