Climbing Vine removal

[Mike]

I have a huge climbing vine in the corner of my yard, all tangled up in the fence, and growing probably 60 feet up in several trees.

I'd like to try to determine:

1. The name of it
2. How to get rid of it.

I found the main point where the thing goes into the ground, and cut it off. It was probably 6-8 inches around. I've cut all of the pieces that go up into the trees, and I'm working on removing the runners that are growing along the ground. It is very hard work. This plant makes a mesh-like network of runners that go out, and they are anchored to the ground, but grow pretty shallow. It's almost like a large carpet.

I've started in one corner, and have been working out from there to remove it. To remove it, I'll start pulling up a runner, and when I get to a point where it's attached firmly to the ground, I'll cut out below it and keep going. Some of these things are like 50 feet long, seems like, and they criss-cross, which makes it very difficult to remove.

Does anyone have any idea what this could be, or some pictures I could see to point out what it looks like? I checked on Google, and did not find any.

Also, any other suggestions for removing it? It's next to a creek, and in the backyard where the dog lives, so I'd rather not use a caustic chemical.

I thought about getting some of the stump dissolver stuff and putting that on the main root (the 8 inch or so stump that I suspect is the main base for all this crap).

Any suggestions or ideas?

Thanks.

[JoeSpareBedroom]

Any idea where you live? And, can you post some digital pictures on a site like

[Mike]

I'm in Durham, NC, and I'll take some pictures today after work and post them.

Mike.

JoeSpareBedroom wrote:

[told2b]

list is still big but at least your in the right state. If it's Evergreen that will narror your search. Good Luck.

[Jen]

Sometimes using a rake to help to rip it up, will help you make a start. Then you can spray, or remove what grows. You'll probably take a few years to remove it all, depending on what the plant is. I use sprays when I really need to, my dog doesn't bother with it.

Jen

[newsreader]

Not sure where you are, or what your vine looks like. I'm in MD, and have porcelain berry vines growing like what you describe.

[Mike]

That sounds like it, and I'm in NC, which is just south of VA. The only thing is that this thing has climbed like 50 feet up a tree, and I've yet to see it flower...

Raking does no good, except to reveal the network of vines on the ground. They have to be pulled up until you get to where they are anchored, and then cut up.

Thanks for the advice, next weekend when I'm doing round 4 I'll post some pictures.

newsreader wrote:

[newsreader]

The other invasive vine I have on my property is poison ivy. There was one vine climbing to the canopy of an oak tree that is about a 30" diameter and very very tall. The poison ivy vine was about 3" diameter where it came out of the ground, and was flourishing all the way at the top of the tree. I sawed the vine @ ground level, and again about 6' up. That was in April of 2005, and this summer the tree looks great. If you do have Poison Ivy vines, read up on the necessary precautions before attacking it.