# What's the story with Morning Glory? (Help!) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 13, 2005, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-story-with-morning-glory-help/321359 "2005-09-13T00:05:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Darryl\_Lict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7cd45c/32.png) [@Darryl\_Lict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darryl_Lict)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2005, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-story-with-morning-glory-help/321359/1 "2005-09-13T00:05:47Z")
OK, my yard is an oasis of gnarly invasive plants. Bamboo, ivy and especially, Morning Glory. Every couple of years I go in and try to hack it all out, but it ALWAYS grows back. From what I understand and have observed, it is somehow impervious to Roundup (One of the only non-genetically engineered ones). Do any of you guys know how to get rid of this pestilence permanently? I prefer to not use herbicides, but if I have to use napalm or Agent Orange, I may just do it. By the way, I live in California, this plant is the one with purple flowers and is a perennial. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2005, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-story-with-morning-glory-help/321359/2 "2005-09-13T00:19:13Z")
It’s damned hard. If you’re going to go with straight physical control, just be persistent. An important thing to remember is that a very small segment of vine (less than an inch) will happily propagate, if it contains one of those nasty little nodes. Just keep taking them out, and treat the remains like the Cursed Undead. Eventually the roots _will_ die, if you don’t allow them to reestablish themselves. Get back out there every few days and remove anything that’s trying to come back. Avoid cutting, if possible. Rip 'em up and don’t lose any bits. ---
**Author:** ![bradministrator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a698b9/32.png) [@bradministrator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bradministrator)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2005, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-story-with-morning-glory-help/321359/3 "2005-09-13T00:35:24Z")
The thread title and first sentence is either the slyest cultural reference ever, or a complete coincidence. ---
**Author:** ![Darryl\_Lict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7cd45c/32.png) [@Darryl\_Lict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darryl_Lict)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2005, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-story-with-morning-glory-help/321359/4 "2005-09-13T01:28:47Z")
> [@bradministrator](#): > > The thread title and first sentence is either the slyest cultural reference ever, or a complete coincidence. I figured I should have commented it **Gardening Help** as to not waste Oasis fans’ time. And yes, I do have the CD. Thanks, Larry, i was kind of afraid that that is what I have to do. Unfortunately, it grows along a shared fence, so I guess I’ll need the cooperation of the neighbors. I’ve been cutting it back every couple years rather than every couple of days. It actually started as a delicate little tendril, such a pretty little innocuous thing. I’m wondering if there is some sort of relatively non-toxic substance that I can inject into the root that will disipate and not kill off my neighbor’s garden. My other neighbor is already accusing me of killing off his passion fruit vine when I emptied my hot tub. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2005, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-story-with-morning-glory-help/321359/5 "2005-09-13T01:34:47Z")
There are direct-contact herbicides that you can paint the leaves with – if you cut 'em most of the way back, and then apply them, they’ll kill to the root. They’re as toxic as all get-out, but if you don’t splash it around it should be targeted enough that you won’t poison any of your neighbour’s babies. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2005, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-story-with-morning-glory-help/321359/6 "2005-09-13T01:59:08Z")
I know you prefer not to use herbicides, but if you change your mind, try this. Find every place those sneaky little runners pop out. Every sprout, every shoot, every node. Squirt every one of them with Roundup. Wait 24-48 hours. Hack everything to the ground. Wait for the runners and tendrils to come back. Do it again. And again. Actually, we did it for three consecutive years before we finally knocked it out. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Carter\_of\_Mars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/2bfe46/32.png) [@John\_Carter\_of\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Carter_of_Mars)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2005, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-story-with-morning-glory-help/321359/7 "2005-09-13T03:15:27Z")
Check with your County Extension Agent or whatever they may be called in California. Giving the type of advice you want is what they are paid for. There are a number of herbicides labeled for morning glory control, and if you get the proper one and use it according to directions, there should be no problems. I know you said you prefer not to use herbicides, but herbicides are better than knocking yourself out for two years or more with this difficult weed. If you’re careful with chemicals and follow the directions on the label, there’s no reason not to use them. ---
**Author:** ![Mangosteen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Mangosteen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangosteen)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2005, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-story-with-morning-glory-help/321359/8 "2005-09-13T03:59:11Z")
Get some Round Up Pro You won`t find it at Garden Centers, only at Landscaper Supply stores like Hydroscape. You don`t need a special permit or license to buy it. It contains Round up AND a surfactant which makes it stick to the plant its trying to kill. It make a BIG difference. ---
**Author:** ![slaphead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9bcb4/32.png) [@slaphead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slaphead)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2005, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-story-with-morning-glory-help/321359/9 "2005-09-13T14:21:22Z")
Well I have to say I was expecting this thread to be about something completely different. But then I realised you yanks refer to it as ‘Morning Wood’ instead. Probably just as well, since I was wondering why someone would need help :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![PetW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d2c977/32.png) [@PetW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PetW)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2005, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-story-with-morning-glory-help/321359/10 "2005-09-13T16:46:16Z")
It’s interesting how we all think differently. Some people might’ve come into this thread thinking it was about a plant, the band Oasis, or morning erections. I figured it was about the [psychedelic.](http://www.erowid.org/plants/morning_glory/morning_glory.shtml) ---
**Author:** ![Darryl\_Lict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7cd45c/32.png) [@Darryl\_Lict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darryl_Lict)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2005, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-story-with-morning-glory-help/321359/11 "2005-09-14T22:03:33Z")
Thanks gang! I’ve ripped out all I could get to. I’ll have to think about using some herbicide, but I’ll monitor the situation and then decide. I’ll spend some time researching the long term effects of the chemicals. And to be perfectly honest. I’ve used my share of Round up. John Carter, I went to UC Davis as an undergrad, and a friend of mine is one of those California agricultural advisor guys, so that seems like a good idea. On the other hand PetW, as my user name implies, I’m a fan of mind altering substances. I didn’t realize the active substance (Lysergic Acid Amide) in Morning Glory seeds was so closely related to LSD, but I’ve yet to try them. In the days before the internet, when I was a bit more adventurous about these things, I was under the impression that the proper dose was approaching toxic levels. More conventional alternatives were not difficult to come by. As a matter of fact, the record store in Isla Vista (UCSB student ghetto) was named Morning Glory Records, and this was way before Oasis was around. Now, it’s off to hack out the bamboo! ---
**Author:** ![AnotherUnitySong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@AnotherUnitySong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AnotherUnitySong)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2005, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-story-with-morning-glory-help/321359/12 "2005-09-14T22:10:38Z")
> [@PetW](#): > > It’s interesting how we all think differently. Some people might’ve come into this thread thinking it was about a plant, the band Oasis, or morning erections. I figured it was about the [psychedelic.](http://www.erowid.org/plants/morning_glory/morning_glory.shtml) I assumed the same :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Oregon\_sunshine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/50afbb/32.png) [@Oregon\_sunshine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oregon_sunshine)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2005, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-story-with-morning-glory-help/321359/13 "2005-09-14T22:10:42Z")
Just to give you another perspective, I’d prefer if our yard was overrun with glorious invasive species so that we would not have to cope with that archaic tradition of monoculture, [the lawn](http://www.foodnotlawns.com/). (We rent, BTW.)