Bleach will not do much to stop the growth of plants. The most organic, as well as environmentally sound, means of control is to keep those plants cut so no green growth can feed the plants roots.

The use of any glyphosate product is not acceptable to any organic grower, ever.

kimmq is kimmsr

Would you feel better if you use triclopyr instead to paint the cut surface of the stub? If so, also know that it's' beter at killing woodies than is glyphosate.

Triclopyr is nor more acceptable to any organic grower than is glyphosate.

kimmq is kimmsr

Cut each trunk back to slightly below ground level. Pour a large handful of Borax on each trunk and then cover each with a brick or large stone. In the early spring lift off each brick, add another handful of Borax and replace brick. An old fashion method. The use of Borax will render the soil in that area sterile for a few years and delay any future plantings along the house wall.

So chemically poisoning the soil with large quantities of non-biodegradable boron is OK, but using a biodegradable herbicide to selectively kill the woodbine is not?

lazy_gardens, thank you for posting your above comment. I was hoping that someone would 'pick up' on my suggestion to use Borax. Yes, the method will work. But, although a natural product boron does cause environmental damage. Frankly, I think that we organic gardeners have to weigh what is truly best for the environment. Not everything natural is also good. I was the first to experiment and introduce the concept here on GW that it was possible. with a small one inch brush to quickly, with a few controlled swipes, paint undiluted brush killer on a freshly cut stump. Job done. If new sprouts should appear cut and quickly paint again. Simple, self contained solution which I believe does the least environmental damage.

Over the years I have experimented with various organic methods touted here on this forum. Some scary! I found that a drop of full strength Clorox placed in the center of a dandelion plant slowly kept working for three years, killing the surrounding grass in a 1 ft. diameter circle. Try it this spring.

Played with the extra strength vinegar idea, too. It was difficult to obtain. Thank goodness. Prevented some serious injury to the careless user. Also causes soil damage.

So, lazy_gardens...we have introduced a controversial thought. Tighten your saddle!

The following was stated: " I was the first to experiment and introduce the concept here on GW that it was possible. with a small one inch brush to quickly, with a few controlled swipes, paint undiluted brush killer on a freshly cut stump. Job done. If new sprouts should appear cut and quickly paint again. Simple, self contained solution which I believe does the least environmental damage."

H. Kuska comment. In this forum we are talking about organic gardens so I assume that the "freshly cut stump" is in an organic garden. Bush killer chemicals do not normally just disappear when they are applied to a freshly cut stump. I assume that to be effective the chemical is passed throughout the remaining below ground stems and root system. Let's assume that what is left of the plant dies. What happens to the brush killer chemical in the dead cut stump? i.e. as the dead plant decomposes something has to happen to the brush killer chemical.

This is one scientific reference for one herbicide.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/222401936_Glyphosate_in_the_rhizosphere-Role_of_waiting_times_and_different_glyphosate_binding_forms_in_soils_for_phytotoxicity_to_non-target_plants

i.e. is the organic crop that you are growing in that soil going to test positive for low levels of the bush killer chemical that you applied to that "freshly cut stump"?

"What happens to the brush killer chemical in the dead cut stump? i.e. as
the dead plant decomposes something has to happen to the brush killer
chemical."

It decomposes. The "soil food web" you are so fond of has an amazing ability to consume anything that has energy. Remember that certain strains of naturally occurring soil bacteria can demolish PCBs.

lazy_gardens, yes but before it decomposes, the roots of the nearby organic plants will have the opportunity of absorbing the chemical.

Example for glyphosate:

Title: "Glyphosate fate in soils when arriving in plant residues"

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0045653516304039