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bahram03

Remove vining weeds without access to roots

8 years ago

There are roots growing onto the back of my garage and my neighbors. They creep into my garden and want to remove them. There is also one that grows from my neighbor along the fence in the back of my yard. What is the best ways to remove these weeds?


Comments (6)

  • 8 years ago

    1 & 3 are Boston ivy and 2 is Virginia creeper. Some folks get a skin reaction (they are two different species, but in the same genus, so closely related) so wear long sleeves and gloves just in case you are one who does. Clip the vines off with pruners at your property line and then pull them off anything on your side of the line and put them out for yard waste trash. A putty knife may help with removal from brick or other solid surfaces. You will need to redo this several times a season, but the first time will be the worst. A string trimmer may take care of beating it back to the fence line for the follow up trimmings.

    Or talk to the neighbors and see if they want to try a group effort to remove it from everyone’s property and then get together afterwards for takeout and beverages. This will also need follow up to prevent it from returning, but consistent removal of all leaves will eventually starve out any plant. If everyone agrees, you could also get brush killer and paint (not spray) it on all cut stems to kill back roots more quickly.

  • 8 years ago

    Thanks. Didn't even think of an allergy possibility. I have removed them for years with my hands. They come right off the wall when I pull on them. The "suckers/roots" remain on the brick though.

    I don't even know who lives in those houses to knock on their door to ask. I would even go and pull it back myself if they let.

    What is a brush killer and why won't sprays work?


    Thanks!

  • 8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    With sprays there has to be no wind as well as no rain until it has totally dried since overspray can kill other plants you don’t want killed. You have to be careful that no plants you want alive and no plants on the other side of the fence are sprayed since most herbicides are nonspecific. Painting brush killer on cut stems allows you to only get herbicide on the plants you want to kill. I mostly only use herbicides including brush killer (usually a stronger formulation, but sometimes a different one) on things like poison ivy that I can’t pull because I am severely allergic to it.. And you shouldn’t use any herbicides on plants that go onto other properties since if the owner wants them you might be responsible for replacing any damaged plants, not to mention the ethics of killing plants on the neighbor’s land without permission.

    The paint scraper can help remove holdfasts from the brick

  • 8 years ago

    One of them grows directly from the ground onto my garage. That one I would kill without asking.

    What brand of roller herbicide do you recommend? I will try knocking on their doors and/or leaving a note about it to see what we can do to remove it.

  • 8 years ago

    I use undiluted glyphosate for a brush killer if painting on cut stems. I mix to the label’s suggestion for brush and woody weeds if using on leaves. I use disposable foam or cheap bristle brushes to paint it on.

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