Topic: Russian Vine

[Sketty]

How on earth do you get rid of the stuff without....
a) My outbuildings falling down.
b) Reverting W.M.D. >:(

[Deeds]

Don't get me started on Russian Vine!

I have been trying to eradicate it for the last 5 years and I don't seem to be any nearer.

The lovely people who loved in this house previously not only grew it, but helpfully pruned it and threw the clippings over the wall into the farmers field next door.  It rooted and now smothers 30' tall trees.  It's rooted into the granite walls and is a total nightmare.  Every year about this time of year I spray with Pathclear where it is possible and not going to kill everything else.  I have tried cutting it back and injecting the stems directly with weedkiller in a hypodermic.  It seems to thrive with this treatment.  I think it would even survive a nuclear attack or a good drenching with Agent Orange!

The stuff, in my opinion should be banned from sale, just the same way that it's close relative Japanese Knotweed is.

[daisymay]

ooops! we have just planted one up the side of our garage. It has trebled in size in just 3 months and is already growing into the gutters etc...

[Roy Bham UK]

;D Here's a light hearted link to a very serious problem :'(
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/gqt/fsheets/20_01_02/fsheetsq7.shtml

[dibberxxx]

i cut my russian vine right back to the stump at the beginning of the year and if you could see it now you would never believe it, no wonder they call it mile a minute

[nepeta]

Oh dear, my neighbours have one of these which is threatening to take over my garden. Whilst they were on holiday, I gave it a good prune as it was taking over my shrubs. From reading your comments it looks as though I will now have a regular job if I want to keep my garden free of the stuff!
I can't really understand why people plant it, it's not very attractive to look at just extremely rampant.
I don't get on with my neighbours as it is, and now it looks like they've done something else to annoy me.

[Sketty]

Update.........It has grown between the timber and the slates of an out building. I may even have to resort c-c-chemical weopons :o

[Kerry]

there was a plant of this that used to grow over next doors outbuilding- as a condition of getting a mortgage to buy the place, the chap we bought the house from had to remove it. his surveyor said it would bring the slates off the outbuilding and damage it.
as it had grown for so long, when removed the roof had slipped slates, all out of place which had to be replaced. the root of the plant was left, fortunately dead, but was so thick i had to 'axe' it out!

next door planted some and within one year it had shot along their fence and up a tree, making a thick canopy. each time it came through the fence i would chop it, but it seemed to come back with a vengeance. fortunately they saw sense and removed it!

i would get it removed asap! (my sympathies!)

[Sketty]

So it seems slash and burn is the answer of the day possibly resorting to weapons of mass destruction........so be it >:( :o

[okell]

I needed a plant to cover a large amount of fencing within my allotment (my allotment is right next to the main road unfortunately, and I am not allowed to plant trees or bushes, but vines etc., are ok, was unsure what to plant and my neighbour who is a qualified landscape gardner told me to buy a russian vine called "mile-a-minute", sounds like it's this one, hmm don't think I'll bother now

[daisymay]

it will certainly do what you need it to do, just have to be brutal with it when it gets too big.

[Sketty]

I really wouldn't bother. It does just what it says on the tin (mile a minute). The harsher you are with it, the more growth seems to be encouraged. It also sends up suckers which grow just as quickly. Although against them, it looks as if I will have to resort to the use of chemicals. Which brings me rather succinctly to my next question.........suggestions anyone? :(

[dibberxxx]

Sketty have you tyred digging out the main plant and root , my weeken it then put week killer on any bits left , just a suggestion , i have the stuff to so i know what it is like , but i did plant it by choice ,

[Juliet]

If you don't want to resort to chemicals, you could have a go with salt - don't know if it will kill Russian Vine, but it will kill most things!  Cut the Vine down as much as you can, but leaving a stump above ground & then make a hole in that & inject the salt into it.  If it works you can then dig out the dead roots at your leisure - if it doesn't work you can still try the chemicals later!  You do have to be really careful not to get any salt into your flower beds though - it will kill your plants if you do.

[Deeds]

The best thing I've found is 'Root-Out' stump killer.

Cut it back and apply to the fresh stumps, works well (when you can get to the stumps, that is)

[Sketty]

A bit difficult to use a stump killer as there are about 30 the thickness of my wrist and about 150 suckers the thickness of my finger. What about a systemic herbicide?