The War of the Vines

This is a side-tracking continuation of a conversation about vines started in the vines section (it was about trumpet vines) but this isn't so much about vines as about fences and neighbors.

My neighbor to the south is a big country auto salvage yard, surrounded by a long, tall chain link fence. When we moved here the remains of a picket fence were still to be seen on our side, but the wood had shrunk and the nails come loose and most of it had fallen down and the rusty nails were a danger.

So this last fall we gathered it all up and carted it away, and I set out to cover the fence with vines. Because I was told trumpet vine was terribly invasive, I agreed to plant it in a pot to contain it, and plant lots of other vines instead -- sent to me by a kind DGer -- plus many I bought myself (mostly honeysuckle, some roses, clematis and jasmine). I put the two trumpet vines in a huge pot, ran drip watering all along the fence, and everything was going splendidly until about two weeks ago.

One day I noticed my trumpet vine -- the only perennial vine that was doing much climbing -- was wilting. In a hurry, and thinking my drip watering had failed, I soaked the pot with my hose. Came out to check on it two days later only to find it brown and dead -- except at the base, where new leaves were sprouting beneath six neat cuts that had severed the climbing portions from the base.

I live almost in the middle of nowhere. The only actual neighbor near me is across the street, and he's a gardener by profession (now retired) and a nature lover in general who has been delighted with the prospect of me covering the fence with vines. For years he's wondered aloud if there was an ordinance that would require the junk yard to put up a screening fence (**see note below**), so I know he's on my side. And there's really no one else out here.

It seemed clear to me that it was the folks in the junkyard -- perhaps they objected to the vines?

So I went around to talk to them a few days later. I started off by introducing myself to the owner (he didn't bother to tell me his name) and told him I wanted to talk to him about how good fences make good neighbors. I told him I was working on putting vines up to climb and cover the fence, and asked him if he had any objection. He said he didn't. He suggested maybe some wild animals got to it -- I said not unless they knew how to operate nippers, since the vines were cut off cleanly. I suggested that he make sure everyone on his staff knew that it was important to me that the plants remain unharmed and allowed to grow. He said he'd do that.

My (13-year-old) daughter was with me during this, and she said he kept shifting his eyes to his work crew, and they kept smirking and trying to look busy. So I felt pretty sure I knew where the problem lay.

Two weeks later and my trumpet vines were putting out some pretty impressive growth, considering. At least they were yesterday when I checked them mid-day. Today it's a different story. One of the two vines in the pot has been totally stripped of its leaves. There are a few 1/4" nubbins of leaf stalks left and that's all. The other of the two vines is completely untouched.

I have some ideas on where to go from here, but would love to hear the input of others before I take any action.

--
Linda in Texas


**Note**
I did a little research on the Internet the day I first discovered the cut vines and, indeed, there is an ordinance that says an auto salvage yard like this one must have a 6-foot fence that obstructs the view whereever it faces a road or residences. I found this by first finding an article in which a junk yard owner is interviewed (in another county in Texas) who has been informed of this rule and may face the choice between putting up $100,000 of fences within 30 days or paying a fine of $500 a day until he manages it. Ouch! I'm a small-business owner myself and really don't want to do that to one of my fellows.

Linda-if the fence belongs to the Junk Yard, maybe they do not want the trumpet vine on it! Build your own fence and do with it what you wish-just make sure it does not venture into their territory. I would be cautious if I were you. If they were willing to vandalize your plants, no telling what else they will vandalize if provoked. We too have a chain link fence dividing our property from our back neighbors. We chose to use black vinyl slates inserted into the chain link for more privacy. Perhaps this could also be an option.

Nancy

Perhaps you could send him a copy of that article and suggest that watering your trumpet vines is cheaper?

What about something else that doesn't grow on the fence but in front of it? I have a nasty looking fence between me and a neighbor, that I cannot afford to replace, but I haven't mowed down the sumac tree seedlings this year, and they are over 6' tall and make a nice screen. I hate them, but they look better than the fence.

Hi Nancy. While it *is* their fence, they are supposed to make it a solid screen. The ordinance allows them to use plants as a screen. Perhaps I should suggest that *they* plant trumpet vine on their side? And water it thrice weekly in the summer... by hand (since they don't have water out that far).

Terre, I have sumac growing along that fence -- right now it's about 3" high. :) Also an oak tree, a chinese pistache, and two afghan pines. But I'm afraid doing that much broke my budget. I definitely can't afford to put up a fence -- at least not this decade.

I am thinking about bringing the article to him -- not accusing him of doing the actual damage, but suggesting that me covering the fence with vines would be much cheaper than anything he could do.

I am more than a little worried about retribution. This man has been known to put out poisoned meat for the foxes that like to live in his area.

This message was edited Jul 26, 2004 9:19 PM

I dont think I would tell you what I would do, not lady like at all.
By all means put the paper where he will get it. Make a mention to somone in authority what you are trying to accomplish and how he is not keeping up with codes, also tell them you are worried about retribusion and why so that maybe they will confront him on an inspection due to another matter and say Oh by the way you need to do something with that fence to get it up to code. You never know, it might work

Hey girl!
Sorry to hear your vines were cut. I still have plenty more where those came from, so don't worry. I just throw them away, and can easily throw them in another box, for you.
How are the other vines I sent you doing??
You know, this is just a thought, ...but I did lose an entire row of the most gorgeous cobaea scandens(monestery bells) one year. I was so upset I cried. I truly thought my hubby had just weed-wacked them, as there was no damage except clean cuts right at the base of ALL of them! Boy, I approached him with a red face! We was very puzzled and said "show me". Turns out he had no clue. I believe him, but was out to find out what monster had done this.
The very next day I was trying to make cuttings of these rapidly wilting 8 foot vines, and noticed the monstser!!!
He was a huge grasshopper and was eating the base of a very small plant, which was the only one had not killed. I was too late. Within seconds I watched him take a huge bite and move on...
Ruined. All of them ruined by a finicky grasshopper!
@#$%!!!!!
Maybe that is what happened to yours??
-Taylor

Hi Taylor! Almost all the vines you gave me are doing quite well. The honeysuckle in particular seems very happy -- I have them planted in lots of different locations. The roses, too, are climbing the fence. Most of the others are green but haven't yet put on a burst of speedy growth -- I'm going to mulch them all real well this fall and expect to see them start growing next spring.

Unfortunately our business is suffering under the current economy and so I've had to go get a "real job" -- while still working for our business, so I have only about 4 hours a week for gardening (good thing I put in that drip watering system) so won't have time to plant anything new for a while.

Can grasshoppers make clean cuts through 3/8" woody stems? The leaves aren't being eaten or anything... just absolutely straight cuts, at the same angles on each side of the plant (as if someone with snippers stuck them through the fence in the middle of the plant -- all the cuts on one side angle up and away from the central low point -- the cuts on the other side angle up and away in the opposite direction, sort of a V-shaped pattern).

Anyway, I've wired hardware cloth to the fence between the fence and the pot. If it stops happening I'll suspect it wasn't a grasshopper, if it keeps happening I guess I'll have to let them off the hook.

Hey girl!
...hard to say. My grasshopper damage looked like a snip, rather than a chew. Had I not actually witnessed him do it(I stood in shock while he bit the last stem), I might have always suspected foul play.

There was no damage on any other part of the plant. It was as if, he just was being very finicky, and malicious, at the same time, methodicly(sp?) went to each stem and cut it just above the ground...

On the other hand, we have had our share of problems with the neighbors. They cut anything that comes over to their side, and even came into our yard and pruned a tree limb, while we were not home. Our live oak and his bradford pear were touching. Of course, he trimmed OUR tree, not his...
There are some real jerks in the world.

I hope the hardware cloth solves your problem...'course now that grasshopper season is pretty much over, it will be really hard to tell...

Glad to hear the vines are doing well. And, you are right! Good thing you put in a drip system! Hope you don't have to work too long!

Take care!
-Taylor