I just keep pulling the vines until they give up (even if I don't get all the roots). Have hardly any this year because the pulling didn't give them a chance to set seed.
Yardening Summer 2013 Part 2
I guess you could use a cheapo spong brush to paint RoundUp on the MGs (to avoid spraying your desirable plants), but that's almost more of an effort than pulling at the vines. My experience is the same as RRR, just keep pulling and reducing the seed bank in the soil for future years. I have one little plant under a hedge in my yard that is persistent. I don't know how it still has the energy to grow b/c as soon as I see green, I pull it. I won't use RoundUp or try to dig out the roots b/c I think the hedge would suffer for it.
I won't ever let MGs grow in my yard, they are beauties but also beasts! If my neighbors start growing it, I can't say that I wouldn't want to sabotage their vines
.... I wouldn't actually do it, I would just want to.
Recognizing and eradicating the seedlings is the best way to get rid of them, but it sounds like you're way past that now. Good luck!
SS, I'm thinking that with all the digging and soil disturbance back along your fence line that a lot of the MG seed bank that was buried is now exposed, so if you keep pulling this year and mulch well for the Fall, you will have taken care of the bulk of them and future years will be much easier.
Also have to add that this year all of my 'vines' are growing way faster than I remember like they all want to be Kudzu look-alikes or mile a minute sprinters, If I didn't know better, I would think this was the year of the vine!
And just smile to yourself with every one you pull and rejoice that there are no dogs lunging at you while you yarden!
Thank you all for your suggestions! I will keep pulling them out and avoid herbicides.
Coleup, you're right, that part of the yard had been terribly neglected and are full of MG seeds! I need to mulch very thickly and use more cardboard. It sure feels good to garden in peace!
Try just taking a pair of scissors out there and cut as many of the vines as close to the fence as you can. In a couple of days the vines will be real easy to pull off your other plants and without flowering they won't reseed.
Hey guys! Might you suggest the same thing (painting with roundup) for wild strawberry vines? Ya know, those weedy ones? I only started having a problem with them when the "new" neighbors moved in and they don't take care of the yard like my old neighbors did... now I find these horrid things creeping in under the fence ALL along the fence line -- it's impossible to keep up with the darned things and they're now crawling all across my yard.
Since the fiasco with the termites I had to do some MAJOR "cleaning up" of the beds out front, and they're looking quite sparse. Many of the Irises that I'd installed near the house have been pulled up, the sedum has been cut back to near-naught, the Platys were cut way back (now already putting out tons of new growth), and the Laurels got the biggest haircuts of their lives... had to make ooooodles of room between flora and the wall so they could 'trench', wanted to make enough room for the worker to feel comfortable.
That wooden water-pump planter thing was FULL of termites and had to be trashed. Ditto for the whiskey barrel. Heck, when I dug out the contents of the barrel so I could move it, I found that it had no bottom left!!
A few days ago I pruned back all the dead/dying/wilted daisies, so now all the driveway-side bed has is the 5-foot tall coneflowers and a few random dianthus. (and lots of leaves that need to be raked up). ;)
I'll try to get some pics later... much to do on my "list of things to do" today!
speedie--
I am in awe about all you can do and accomplish. You sure are strong--
but that comes with being young....and a hard worker...I used to be like that...
I am a hard worker--but not as much gets accomplished, nowadays, as it used to be 20+ years ago.
I still think I can beat many a contemporary--as I have been gung-ho like this all my life.
This is, maybe,??? in 1972 ??? . Not sure...The USVBA Volleyball Nationals were held in Baltimore--and, since
I was already a certified referee, I was one of the line judges.
here--just taking a break between games... Ahhhh...memories...
G.
Same sweet Gita smile, that is DEFINITELY YOU!!! < =D
Gosh, I didn't do all that in one day... it was all done... errr... in 2 different days. ;) heeheeheee I don't know that it's so much "youth" as it was a matter of necessity. =)
Ahem.....
Necessity is the mother of-------doing what has to be done and by when...Amen!
G.
Beautiful picture, Gita!
Amen Gita. That's exactly how that saying goes. < =D
Gita, love that photo! :-)
I posted these on Plant ID -- I am trying to figure out if they are weeds or perennials to be treasured. If you have thoughts, I'd love to hear!
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1325876/
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1325877/
Happy, hope you are getting some helpful responses for your 2 plants. I have some NoIDs of my own--volunteers, leftover from previous owner, and one that I planted but can't remember now what it is... :-(
I just put them in the plant id forum, but can't figure out how to do the nifty cut and past to this post thing that others are doing!!
I can help ya there Cat. First, open up the other thread to which you are referring. Highlight the URL (in the address bar) and "copy" it. In a separate window or tab, open this thread. In a post here, refer to it by saying something like "Here's that thread I was telling you about, check this out" or whatever, and then "paste" it into your post. Tah dah, the link to your post in the id forum will be in your post here!
I hope that helps! =)
Speedie nailed it!
My current thinking is that one of the plants I posted is a Montauk daisy that Gita gifted me at Jan's swap -- I dmailed her to ask if that is a possibility. The other I really think is a very very healthy weed, but I'm not 100% certain.
Montauk daisy's have a rather fleshy leaf. They are slightly thick.
Happy--BE BRAVE--just yank it!
It is probably a weed!!! No need to post back and forth for an ID..
G.
...and Montauk daisy foliage is dictinctly musky smelling, offensive if you ask me.
Sally: Ok, I'll give it a sniff.
Gita: I'm not good about yanking unnecessarily, though I understand your point!
Greetings all.....after not having time to keep up with the threads I so love and enjoy for some months now, I am slowly getting back in the groove......I see a lot of familiar names here and haven't gone back to read what everyone is involved in and has going on, but did want to drop in and say hello.
The update on our summer yardening 2013 is one with not much to tell. I do have a good report to make in terms of finally after many years of looking upon the gardens and only seeing the weeds and the work that needs to be done, I finally broke that habit and despite myself have been able this years when our gardens definitely have had very little upkeep or maintenance, I am able to see the beauty and not focus on what needs doing.......I am so enjoying each and every pretty little bloom and the greeness of the ones that don't bloom.
Just the past two days I have a lovely picture looking out of my back door.....there is a very lovely dark pink Hibiscus with some gorgeous and plentiful blooms all over it. Directly behind the Hibiscus is two beds of my all time favorite flower....gladiolus....there seem to be a dozen or more of them blooming currently, though due to the heat of the past week, I have only glimpsed these beauties from the indoors and haven't gone out to get a better view......later this evening I am hoping to get out and cut a bouquet of the glads to put in a vase on the dining table, which I enjoy doing each year when they bloom.
I am so thrilled with my new vantage point in being able to first see beauty and then possibly see some weeds....that is major progress for me and takes a lot of pressure of me at the same time.
Coleup, I read yesterday that you were moving or had moved?......Frankly, the past few days when finally having time to try and start participating here in the Mid Atlantic Gardeners group, I have felt like an outsider and so behind on all the chats.....It feels good to see so many friendly names here and I hope it won't take too long for me to begin feeling as though I were never gone....good to see you back and posting speedie.....really great to see all others too......I miss each and every one of you....
Hope that everyone is able to beat this heat and thankfully the temps are supposed to drop a bit by tomorrow......they will be very welcomed.
Happy Yardening all.
Ruby
Ruby: We are always glad to hear from you, whenever you can join! I hope all is well with you and that your absence doesn't signify a problem. If I recall, you were expecting to be busy with work on your house....
Hi Ruby!
Ruby!!!! Yay, glad things are calming some so you can jump in. How's the shop doing?
Always nice to enjoy the colors and textures and overlook the weeds.
Speedie and Happy--thanks for the tip! Happy, glad you figured out the 2 plants.
Catmint -- I'm not quite there yet. Plant ID is such a challenge!
I know what you mean! :-) Do you think it's the Montauk daisy?
Here are the links to my unidentified plants. Speedie and Happy, I had no idea it was so easy to post a link like this--thanks for the explanation! :-)
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1326020/
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1326022/
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1326021/
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1326023/
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1326019/
Yippeeeeeee Ruby!!!!!!! How great to see you back again!! Whatcha been busy doin'? How're you doing/feeling!?
5 Gold Stars Catmint!! It really is easy to post a link here, huh? You're very welcome, so glad to help. =)
Happy, any further ideas about your mystery plant?
Gita said it is not a Montauk Daisy, so I don't know. The problem is that if it isn't a plant I want, I want to use the space it is in; I think I'll just plant next to it (assuming I'll end up pulling it out) but wait and see before removing it.
fds
That sounds like a good plan, Happy!
My celosia volunteer has a couple baby flower plumes and it looks like it is going to be yellow!! :-)
Cat I was thinking that it would be yellow-from what I remember, the flower color tends to show in the leaf color or the stem.
thanks, Sally--they are very interesting and pretty plants! Interesting just because I had never known a flower could look like a feather boa! :-)
Coleup: fds? According to Urban Dictionary, that means first date sex, but I bet that isn't what you meant.
Must have been my evil twin posted that
Hahahaha. Glad no liquid in my mouth whilst reading the last couple posts.
LOL! Jan, my thoughts exactly. I would have snorted my drink all over my laptop!
Catmint, if it's a cocksomb of the cristata variety (if it has big brainy-looking flowers), can you save some seeds for me when the time comes? I've got the magenta flowers and could trade you. Here's mine from 3 weeks ago. The flowers are much bigger now.
