How to kill a creeper.

[Joanbunting Profile]

So advice needed please. In DD's garden next door there is a Virginia creeper (quite appropriate seeing where she lives )

It is no longer wanted, but try as we might we can't finish it off. Any suggestions???

[Stokey Sue Profile]

Q. How to kill a creeper
A. Play Radiohead very loudly?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJaAUyK-kNU

More seriously - do nothing until it sprouts in spring, it is very hard to kill something that is hibernating - though I suppose you coudl cut to a stump now and make sure th ebranches don't strt clinging again in Spring

Then apply a proprietary killer to the new growth - you might do better to cut it back to a stump (or stumps) then apply the killer to the regrowth that sprouts from the stumps, as they will be growing fast hey will whizz the killer back to the roots sharpish

Which interestingly is what eHow also says
http://www.ehow.com/how_8273763_remove-virginia-creeper.html

[Joanbunting Profile]

Love it Sue.

We did cut it back to a stump two years ago and tried applying weedkiller but the b***** thing is still sprouting at the rate of about 3 m a day it seems!

Right now it shows no signs of turning autumnal so I thought it might be a good time to have another go. So far we have had warmish weather.

Looking at the site i am thinking perhaps we should re-cut the stump, though how I am not sure, as it is in a very tight corner. It will be in a tighter one when I get going!

[Puss-in-boots Profile]

Burn it?

[Happy Violas Profile]

We got rid of a big established one by cutting down to the stump, removing everything on the wall and putting a stump killer chemical on it. I can't remember what the chemical was but it was crystals of some sort and was advertised as able to kill stumps. Thereafter I've been vigilant at pulling up anything that sprouted and resorted to a good spray of glyphosate when I got fed up of that. You have to really remove all strands of the stuff you cut down as it'll root from nothing (or so it seems!). Good luck!