It's creeping... but I would rather it DIE.

June 3, 2012 10:58 AM

How do I really kill Virginia Creeper, for good?

I've been in the house for about ten years, and I am tired of the Virginia Creeper that has been trying to overtake the yard. It originates from a neighbour's house. The neighbour has said we can kill it if we want; they've kind of abandoned the property, they are thinking of selling, i.e., no maintenance in their yard at all this year. There is a huge wave of the vines threatening to take down our fence, and grow into our metal shed. Pulling this stuff up only does so much. What will actually kill it for good? Neither vinegar nor bleach nor weedkiller (separate applications) worked. I can't really use a weed torch, as the vines are clinging to a garage structure on the neighbour's yard, as well as my wooden stockade fence. Is there a scorched earth weed killer that I don't know about?

posted by kellyblah to Home & Garden (12 answers total)

What I have used in the past was concentrated Roundup (not the already diluted ready - to - use spray) which I spread on the cut areas just after cutting back.
posted by eleslie at 11:05 AM on June 3, 2012

"[T]ake off and nuke the site from orbit. It's the only way to be sure."

Seriously, repeated applications of RoundUp are probably your best bet.
posted by valkyryn at 11:12 AM on June 3, 2012

Definitely Roundup. I also prefer the concentrated mix-yer-own route. In your case, I'd invest in a pump sprayer.
posted by Thorzdad at 11:13 AM on June 3, 2012

I wish you could borrow some goats. They love it.
posted by Lou Stuells at 11:13 AM on June 3, 2012

Response by poster: Does RoundUp work on just the leaves, or does it have to be applied to the cut end of the vines?
posted by kellyblah at 11:17 AM on June 3, 2012

Cut as much back as you can, then use roundup. And then use round up again anytime it starts growing back.
posted by vitabellosi at 11:41 AM on June 3, 2012

I had the same infestation, with some vine stalks as thick as three or four inches. I did what vitabellosi suggested--cut it back as far as possible, then soaked the stumps with Round-Up. Had to repeat in a few spots but that killed it dead.
posted by fivesavagepalms at 11:53 AM on June 3, 2012

Cut the trunk, then apply roundup to the freshly cut stump. Obviously others have said this already, but I just jumped in to ask that you please do your best to limit the application of roundup - that stuff is nasty and persists in the environment. Note that the page quoted below says that spraying the leaves will be ineffective anyway.

Once you cut the stump you can use a foam paintbrush with concentrated roundup on the stump, rather than spraying.

From here:

http://landscaping.about.com/od/vineplants1/p/virginiacreeper.htm

Killing Virginia Creeper:

Some folks dislike its aggressive growth habits and are intent on killing Virginia creeper. Since it grows so high, it's impractical to try killing Virginia creeper (a mature plant, that is) by spraying its leaves. Instead, cut the vine's trunk (near ground level), then apply the strongest concentrate of glyphosate (Roundup) you can buy to the fresh wound. An organic method of killing Virginia creeper is to dig it out, but this is easier said than done, as the plant spreads via rhizomes.

Is Virginia Creeper Poisonous?:

Since Virginia creeper is one of the plants mistaken for poison ivy, many people wonder if it is "poisonous" in the sense that poison ivy is poisonous. The sap flowing through Virginia creeper vines does contain oxalate crystals, which can be an irritant for a small percentage of people. If you're unsure as to whether you're one of those people, don't touch Virginia creeper, since the result of contact could be a nasty skin rash. Nor should you eat Virginia creeper berries.

posted by natteringnabob at 12:27 PM on June 3, 2012

Have you ever heard of boiling water? It doesn't harm the environment and using it won't cause children to be born with birth defects which is horrible for them and expensive for the rest of us.

Saw off the roots at the base. Gather up and burn all the vines. Pour boiling water on the Virginia Creeper roots and then cover the whole area for at least one year with something they could never grow through. Some kind of thick plastic or metal. I have a 4' x 5' rubber floor mat I am going to use to kill some kind of nightshade plant that won't go away in my yard.

It will look shabby for one year but sounds like it looks pretty crappy right now so why not?
posted by cda at 5:55 PM on June 3, 2012

RoundUp is most effective applied to foliage, as it acts by disrupting protein synthesis in chloroplasts, which are found in photosynthisizing tissues. Cut it back to the point where you can reach the whole plant, but you should apply to leaves, ideally in August at the end of the growing season. You can cut and paint too, but Triclopyr is recommended over RoundUp for that method. It's absorbed by leaves, roots, and bark, and acts as a mimic for auxins, causing uncontrolled plant growth that kills the plant. It's usually applied during the growing season. It's more effective than RoundUp on parthenocissus, but may still take more than 1 application.
posted by oneirodynia at 6:02 PM on June 3, 2012 [2 favorites]

It doesn't harm the environment and using it won't cause children to be born with birth defects which is horrible for them and expensive for the rest of us.

Neither does RoundUp, as it turns out. We're not talking about Agent Orange here.
posted by valkyryn at 3:53 PM on June 4, 2012

Have you ever heard of boiling water? It doesn't harm the environment and using it won't cause children to be born with birth defects which is horrible for them and expensive for the rest of us.

I suggested round up, but I am going to try this on some invasive oriental bittersweet I'm trying to eradicate! I've already cut it down, and have plans to tarp it for the summer.
posted by vitabellosi at 12:39 PM on June 12, 2012