Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 4: Know the enemy
• Part 2 of 4: Physical control measures
• Part 3 of 4: Chemical control
• Part 4 of 4: Treating established vineyards
• Tips
• Warnings
• Necessities

Vineyards are often invasive and can be extremely difficult to kill. Perseverance is necessary, but knowing which methods are most effective for physically or chemically removing these weeds will also help.

To step

Part 1 of 4: Know the enemy

1. Know what to expect. Vineyards are among the most difficult weeds to remove. They grow quickly and take root in other places as they grow, so they can take over new areas very quickly and attach themselves to trees, buildings and other plants.
   • You will hardly ever be able to remove vines in a single attempt. Once you enter the fight, you will have to be prepared to fight a long and exhausting battle against these weeds.
   • You may be more successful when you combine multiple methods. The combination of physical removal with chemical measures will often lead to better results than choosing just one particular option.
2. Determine exactly what type of vine you are dealing with. Most vines behave similarly, so the same basic techniques can be used regardless of the specific species you are dealing with. However, if you run into exceptional difficulties, then you should take the time to find out what type of vine you are dealing with. This can lead to additional insight into how to eradicate the plant.
   • You can contact a specialist or distribute photos online, via social media or on garden forums. You will often get good advice from people who have faced a similar problem before.
   • Wisteria can be easily recognized by the scented and small purple, pink and white flowers that appear on the vine in spring or sometime during the course of summer. These are very aggressive species.
   • Kudzu is another aggressive type of vine. This species also has purple flowers, but these have a sweeter and less strong scent than wisteria. The vine itself can grow up to 30 cm per day.
   • Trumpet climbers are invasive and can be difficult to remove, but they are not as persistent as kudzu or other even more aggressive species. You can usually recognize them by the trumpet-shaped flowers.
   • Blackberries can be easily recognized by the fruits. However, even these vines are considered noxious weeds because wild brambles can spread quickly and steal the nutrients of other plants.

Part 2 of 4: Physical control measures

1. Dig or pull the vine out manually. If the vine is still relatively small it should be possible to find the roots. Pull the roots out manually or with a spade or trowel and try to remove the entire root system.
   • For best results, do this while the soil is soft and moist. You will be able to move more soil this way, so that you will be able to reach the root system better.
   • Dig out the entire root system, including all tubers, bulbs, and rhizomes. If you can't reach everything, the remaining root system will re-anchor and start growing.
   • You may need to regularly dig out creeper seedlings for several months or years to get the problem under control.
2. Cut the vine at the surface. While digging out the roots is a necessary step if you want to kill the vine completely, it will also be necessary to cut and remove any vine that clings to buildings, fences, trees, or other surfaces.
   • If you let these aerial parts live, it is possible that the vine will take root again and continue to spread and grow.
   • Do not use the vine as compost. By adding them to an outdoor compost pile, the roots will be mixed with the compost and when this compost is used later, the vine can cause problems again.
3. Do not think it is enough to cut the vine. It may sound tempting to assume that cutting the vine near the base can solve the problem, but the vine will live as long as it has roots left. Cutting a vine can, depending on the specific species, even cause it to grow even faster and more actively.
4. Choke the vine. Many vine varieties need a lot of light and oxygen. If you cover the vine with grass clippings or mulch it may be possible to take enough light and air from the vine to cause it to die. However, make sure that there is a thick layer of mulch and that you cannot see any part of the vine underneath.
   • It is also possible to cover the vine with plastic sheets. This will take oxygen but not light. Unlike other forms of covering, plastic sheets can cause rapid heating, which can also cause the vine to die.
5. Use animals. If you have a lot of land and the resources to keep animals, consider using goats or livestock to kill the vines. Goats are particularly greedy and are therefore usually suitable for controlling vines so that they do not spread further.
   • Make sure the vines are not toxic to the animals before considering this option.
6. Pour boiling water over the vine. In vines that are not very invasive, new shoots can be killed by pouring boiling water over them. This may not lead to excellent results, but this option can be used as an alternative to chemical herbicides.
7. Consider hiring a horticultural company. If you want to tackle the problem physically but don't have the stamina to do it, then you should consider hiring a professional company who can do most of the work.
   • Know that in this case you will still have to regularly search for new random seedlings trying to grow and that you will have to remove them.This can also be done by a professional company, but it is relatively easy compared to the rough work, so you can do this yourself without too much trouble.

Part 3 of 4: Chemical control

1. Estimate the area. Chemical herbicides that are most effective against vines aren't usually picky, so if you're not careful they can also kill plants you wish to keep. If there really is no way to treat the vine without killing other plants, then you can only opt for physical measures.
   • If the vines are close to but not really on other plants, it may be possible to protect these plants sufficiently by covering them with plastic sheets or bags.
2. Spray with a systemic herbicide. Use about 25 cl. Choose a systemic herbicide that can be used specifically against vines. You must use enough herbicide to completely wet the vine's foliage. However, be careful because too much herbicide can penetrate the soil and damage the soil and plants.
   • There are different opinions about the best time to spray. Some people believe that you can do this immediately while the vine is active. Others think you should prune the vine, re-sprout it, and then spray the new immature growth.
   • You should only soak the foliage of the vine. The chemicals are absorbed by the leaves and are thus distributed in the plant. Once absorbed, the poison will be transported to the roots and kill the vine completely.
   • If you have weedy vines you should consider glysophate or triclopyr. Triclopyr is best against woody vines and glysophate is most effective against herbaceous varieties.
   • You may also want to consider using a herbicide with some combination of Dicamba or 2,4-D. Be aware that these are even more dangerous to use.
   • Know that even powerful herbicides can be ineffective against some vines, such as kudzu.
3. Add water, but make sure that the strength of the mixture is about 5 times what you would normally use. You want to be left with a bottle that is about half full of this mixture.
4. Look for a safe place on the ground next to the creeper. You have to leave the bottle there and the last thing you want is for it to be kicked over or broken.
5. Find a new shoot that will reach the bottle without breaking the stem, or find multiple shoots! Sometimes you have to pull down part of the vine to lengthen the shoot, because in the next step you will be putting the vine shoot in the bottle.
6. Put the shoots of the vine in the bottle. These should stay in the bottle so you can't pull down a shoot that will bounce back.
7. Let everything sit. The vine will die off after two or three weeks. Leave the shoot in the bottle even after it has died, as this will allow the vine to continue to absorb the herbicide and you can try to kill the vine's connected offshoots.

Part 4 of 4: Treating established vineyards

1. Recognize situations where chemicals are ineffective. If you are dealing with large established vines rising above trees, shrubs, buildings or fences, it will be impossible to spray with chemical herbicides in the usual way without affecting the surrounding landscape.
   • However, there is a way to use chemicals to kill such vines. This is commonly referred to as the "cut vine method".
   • This method produces the best results when applied in the fall.
2. Cut the vine. Use sharp pruning shears to cut the vine at the base, leaving about three to four inches protruding from the ground.
   • The stump you leave should be relatively short, but there should be enough left over to reach without too many problems.
   • Some vines can be cut with pruning shears, but others will require a pruning saw.
3. Apply herbicide to the stump. Treat the incision of the stump with undiluted triclopyr. Apply enough to cover the entire cut.
   • Work fast. You must apply the herbicide while the cut is still fresh.
   • Treating the stump with herbicides will prevent it from germinating again. The vine will also absorb the chemicals through the cut and once this is done the poison will be transported to the root system and kill the vine.
   • For particularly stubborn vines, such as wisteria, you can use a drilling technique. After baring the stump, drill a 1 inch hole in the stump and any remaining pieces of creeper using a 3mm drill bit. The holes should be approximately 6mm apart. Apply the herbicide to both the cut of the stump and into the holes.
4. Clean up the rest of the vine. Usually, the part of the vine that has grown into your fence, tree or shrub will die because it is no longer connected to the root system. Once this part of the vine starts to wilt it will be easier to remove it manually.
5. Persevere. This technique is usually very effective, but it may still be necessary to treat the area more than once if the vine has taken root in several places.
   • There is a risk that the vine will grow back after you treat it for the first time. You are in a constant battle and you must be willing to re-treat vines that re-emerge from the moment you notice new growth.

Tips

• Once you have decided to remove vines from your land, you must ensure that no vines can enter from outside. Build a high fence or similar fence and make sure the fence is at least 4 inches (10 cm) into the ground. You can also make guards from grass clippings or other forms of mulch.
• After removing vines from an area, it is often a good idea to plant heavy perennial vegetation in that area if possible. This can prevent new shoots from reestablishing.

Warnings

• Use thick gloves when pulling vines or working with herbicides.
• Wash your clothes immediately.
  • Wash the entire surface of your skin twice with plenty of soap, paying special attention to your face, arms and legs. Do this within 20 minutes of contact with the poisonous plant. Don't skip any part of your body.
  • Discard the clippings so that nothing else can come into contact with them. Never burn poisonous vine varieties. Smoke from these clippings contains oil (urushiol) that can cause an allergic reaction in people who are sensitive to it. This can damage the respiratory system to such an extent that it can be life-threatening.
• Make sure you know there are no poisonous species when you start removing. When dealing with poisonous species, you must take special precautions:
  • Avoid contact with all plant parts.
  • Clean all tools thoroughly and completely (including handles).

Necessities

Not all items are required for all methods.

• Gloves
• Trowel or spade
• Secateurs or pruning saw
• Boiling water
• Goats
• Systemic herbicide (glysophate or triclopyr)
• Mulch
• Sheets of plastic