# Need help getting rid of vines. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 11, 2003, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-getting-rid-of-vines/194447 "2003-08-11T18:39:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2003, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-getting-rid-of-vines/194447/1 "2003-08-11T18:39:08Z")
Half of my back yard has become overgrown with vines; I think they might be morning glories. No matter what I do, they keep climbing up everything in sight, and they reproduce faster than I can yank them out. Is there any way to get rid of them without killing everything else? ---
**Author:** ![Blake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@Blake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blake)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2003, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-getting-rid-of-vines/194447/2 "2003-08-11T22:25:10Z")
Glyphosate works well. Tear them up as much as possible. Wnen the new stems pop up, bend them over and stick them into a jar containing a strong glyphosate solution for a few days. Repeat as often as necessary. Glyphosate translocates well so it will eventually destroy all stems and the root system. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2003, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-getting-rid-of-vines/194447/3 "2003-08-12T16:39:54Z")
Thanks for the tip, but I would need thousands of jars. These vines are coming up everywhere, and within flower beds and hedges, etc., and it’s not possible to locate exactly where each one is coming out of the ground. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2003, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-getting-rid-of-vines/194447/4 "2003-08-12T17:56:15Z")
That’s about all you can do. Their roots go down for up to 30 feet, so digging them out is simply not going to work: you have to kill them. If they’re growing among other plants you DON’T want to kill, you’ll have to kill them one at a time, in the manner described by Blake. Otherwise, you’ll have to spray the whole area with herbicide, and sacrifice the other plants. ---
**Author:** ![Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5fc32e/32.png) [@Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bad_News_Baboon)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2003, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-getting-rid-of-vines/194447/5 "2003-08-12T19:37:08Z")
I have the same problem with a plant called Trumpet Vine. This is a plant form hell. We simply can not get rid of it. It is all over the yard! This gyphosate… where does one get this? Is it something I can buy at a place like home depot? We’re pretty desperate! ---
**Author:** ![emmaliminal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7bcc69/32.png) [@emmaliminal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emmaliminal)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2003, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-getting-rid-of-vines/194447/6 "2003-08-12T20:19:39Z")
Does anyone know whether this glyphosate stuff would work on poison ivy? Ditto **Bad News Baboon** on being desparate and begging for more info. ---
**Author:** ![kniz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2003, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-getting-rid-of-vines/194447/7 "2003-08-12T20:59:55Z")
[ul]😃 [sup]**Just hope it is not [kudsu](http://www.jjanthony.com/kudzu/)**[/sup][/ul] ---
**Author:** ![Blake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@Blake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blake)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2003, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-getting-rid-of-vines/194447/8 "2003-08-12T21:45:23Z")
Glyphosate is the active ingredient oin a range of herbicides. They are commonly avaialble at nurseries, hardware stores etc. Roundup was once only avaialable under the brand names “Roundup” and “Zero”, but the patent has since expired. Now you can buy any number of generic but equally effective glyphosate weed killers for lower prices. Not sure if glyphosate will work on poison ivy. Generally glyphosate works well on herbaceous plants. The more woody they become the less effective it becomes, until it’s nearly useless on trees. Poison ivy early on the season _should_ respond well. As it ages and the stems harden it may become more resistant. If glyphosate doesn’t there are a huge range of aboricides out there, often labelled as “blackberry killers” and the like.