desperately need help dealing with Ivy.

11 years ago

I'm trying to prepare my garden for veggies next spring. It was completely over taken with Ivy. It had a tarp over the soil from the last home owner but the ivy had grown over everything. I pulled up all of it as much as I could without totally losing the tarp but it's starting to come back because I couldn't get every bit. I don't want to lose my awesome soil under the tarp or put anything in it that would kill my plants next spring. It's a huge space maybe 60ft long, 6ft wide. Any advice on how to kill this ivy without hurting my soil would be very appreciated. I'm new at gardening and have never dealt with Ivy.

Thank you in advance

Featured Answer

donna_in_sask

11 years ago

last modified: 11 years ago

It's definitely morning glory...looks more like the garden variety rather than bindweed. Probably reseeding itself more than anything. Did you try digging it out and getting rid of all the roots? With bindweed, I read here to gather it up, including the growing tip...put in a jar of prepared Roundup. Prop jar up so it doesn't tip over and protect it from the elements. The plant should soak up the herbicide over time.

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Comments (11)

floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
11 years ago
Could we start by getting you a definite id? Can you show us a picture of the plant in question? Sometimes people use the name 'ivy' for a variety of different plants and it would be helpful to know exactly what yours is.
floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
11 years ago
I'm afraid I can't find any plant called a 'blue bonnet vine'. Do you know its correct botanical name? Or could you post a picture?
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Christina Farrell
Original Author
11 years ago
Yea, that was wrong any way. Most of it I've pulled out but haven't tackled the fence yet. This was all over the ground and piled about a foot high.
Christina Farrell
Original Author
11 years ago
the area in front of the fence was infested but this is after pulling it up as much as I could with the tarp there.
Christina Farrell
Original Author
11 years ago
Morning glory maybe?
Christina Farrell
Original Author
11 years ago
Thank you. I will try the round up and try digging it up when I pull up th tarp. I've been reading up on it and it seems like it's going to be a challenge for sure.
floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
11 years ago
Glad we have an id now. Morning glory is very different from ivy so it was important to know the enemy before recommending treatment. Personally I'd work on getting rid of the tarp as well as the mg. it will only cause trouble for ever in the future. Pulling won't shift it. It needs digging and removal of every scrap of root. And/or herbicide as Donna suggested.
Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
11 years ago
The tarp isn't completely blocking the light or providing enough weight to be an effective smother. Both are necessary.

Ipomoeas aren't usually perennial except in the warmest zones. I'm not convinced this is Ipomoea if it's perennial, though we don't know the location where it is growing. When did the pulling occur?

This time of year, there should be blooms in the morning, if Ipomoea. If you could add a pic of a flower, bud, &/or seed pod, and at least what state this is in, the ID could be confirmed or shifted.

If it is perennial, it may be frustrating to try to garden directly adjacent to that fence, there could be a lot of roots on the other side.

More about smothering:

http://forums.gardenweb.com/discussions/2121934/new-home-overrun-garden
countrygirlsc, Upstate SC
11 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
morning glories took over one of my gardens when I was unable to work in the yard and killed most of the roses that were in it. It was like kudzu and you couldn't tell there was anything under it by the time I was able to do anything. This year I am pulling them up as they come up.
User
11 years ago
Get a good ID in the vine. If it's an annual, you will be fighting re-seeding for a while. If it's a perennial with some sort of a tuberous root you have to remove the top growth continuously until the roots run out of stored energy or until you dig out the entire root system. If it spreads by underground runners, you will have to chase them down and yank them out.

VINE REMOVAL:
Cut it off at ground level, on both sides of the fence.
Let the top growth wilt a bit and then roll it off the fence and compost it.
Patrol the area and pull any sprouts as fast as you see them, or hit them with a squirt of glyphosate spray. Keep doing this until you don't see any more sprouts.

That's all.