Killing invasive vines with a turkey injector

[branimal]

I'm in Brooklyn NYC and every spring summer I get these invasive vines that takeover my concrete backyard. They go up the chain link fences and cover most the backyard's floor. So I end up having to go back there 2-3 a season with a hedge trimmer and a weed whacker and clean up the best I can. It's a pain in the ****.

My backyard borders 4 other backyards. Left, right and two in the back. The problem area is the 2 backyards behind me. These backyards also have fences and that creates a small inaccessible area. Maybe 10" of dead space that is filled with soil. This is where the invasive vines root system is. I can see all the aerial shoots coming up there.

I went back there with a sawzall and cut as many of these shoot I could easily access thru the chain link fence.

I'm wondering if injecting these cut shoots with Roundup could help control my problem. Theoretically it would carry the poison to the main root. At least that's the way it's supposed to work when you spray the leaves.

Any idea on a cheap injector that would work. I found a $10 turkey injector on amazon that has a 3" needle.

I also found a picture of what must be a herbicide injection gun. Might be overkill, but the nozzle length would enable me to get shoots out of the reach of the turkey injector.

 

[TractorJeff]

A buddy of mine said the Farmer down the road from him sprayed the ditch with Round Up, a couples of days later came back and sprayed again with something else to kill the grasses, then again another product to kill the broadleaves. Finally returning a week later with Round Up again!
I said, it reminds me of something the Army did a LONG time ago!
There is a Root/Stump Killer at the Hardware Store that is painted on Stumps to prevent the Stump from growing Shoots. Maybe this is what you are looking for?
As far as the fence, why would there be a Dead Zone like you describe? I would think Fences would be tight on property lines?
I would climb over the Fence and just root up the whole area to get to the source!
Screw the neighbors!
Actually, maybe you should just go talk to them?

 

[branimal]

As far as the fence, why would there be a Dead Zone like you describe? I would think Fences would be tight on property lines?
I would climb over the Fence and just root up the whole area to get to the source!
Screw the neighbors!
Actually, maybe you should just go talk to them?

There's maybe 10" of space between the fences. The only access I have is thru the chain link fence.

Here are some pictures of what I'm working with. I cut down that tree that was growing in the dead man's space. That tree would probably destroy my fence so it had to go. That's not a power line back there. All of our power comes in from underground. I think it's all the cable companies lines.

 

[rok_hunter]

I've had similar problems where I'm at with vines. Their root ball is tough to get rid of, it's almost a potato-looking nodule type thing. Royal PITA.

So roundup will work, if you mix it strong and dose the hell out of the vine. What I've found works really well is about anything with 2,4-d in it. I think the stuff in the photo is the one I use but I'm on the road and can't check my bottle.

It also works great for broadleaf weed control and doesn't harm many grasses, but it will take down woody plants - i.e. trees and bushes - so be careful in your application.

Injecting the vine like you're saying FEELS like it's the best way to get a good kill, but spray the stuff on with a normal 1-gal pump bottle. You'll get better coverage on the whole vine so it's absorbed into the entire plant and can go to work on the cells like it's designed.

Sent from my Pixel 5 using Tapatalk

 

[XRlifer]

I have killed Ivy by cutting down as low as possible and then painting Crossbow or Roundup on the root with a cheap brush. These were nearly as big as my forearm. Yours sounds like they are fairly small/thin?

 

[Doug Arthurs]

Couldn't you take down your chain link fence. Then you could maintain that area and have an extra 10" of yard to boot.

 

[branimal]

I have killed Ivy by cutting down as low as possible and then painting Crossbow or Roundup on the root with a cheap brush. These were nearly as big as my forearm. Yours sounds like they are fairly small/thin?

Yeah the roots I've seen and cut are 3/4 - 1 1/4". So small. Maybe the bigger roots are in someone else's yard.

 

[JohnKal]

Tordon RTU works great. Cut the plant at ground level, spray the Tordon on the stump. Just be careful of neighboring plants. If the unwanted plant roots are intertwined with wanted plant roots, everything will die.

 

[joey1320]

Are you able to get in between the two fences?

If so, I would recommend just taking all that grass/dirt out, laying down a professional grade landscape weed barrier and topping it off with rocks/gravel.

 

[kaymccampbell]

Tordon for the win.

 

[bad_idea]

I had a neighbor behind me that had massive vines growing up the fence. It pushed the fence over. My solution was - remove fence, cut vines off at stump, drill bunch of 1/2" holes in stump, pour Round Up concentrate in the holes. It killed off about 95% of the problem.

In your case, I would remove your fence and use theirs as the boundary divider. Two fences together just asks for troubles. Pests, weeds, vines, and rot (on wooden fences). Remove fence, drill stumps, and pour in Round Up.

 

[TriumphFan]

In the South we deal with Kudzu which you can almost see grow in the Summer. I carry around a spray bottle mixed 50/50 with Brush-B-Gone and water and spray each vine as I cut it. Also works on privet and poison ivy.

 

[yeldogt]

You need to just keep spraying the vines -- use a 3-4 tablespoon to gallon mix from the industrial concentration formula (45% or something like that).

It will work .. Have had to do battle at my city properties when I bought them. Most time the neighbors are clueless on what to do -- so if you ask them they normally are fine with killing even more.

 

[rlitman]

...So roundup will work, if you mix it strong and ...

Mix?!? Hell no.

Get an eye dropper, and fill it with 41% glyphosate concentrate. Use a sharp knife to cut the vine at an angle, and apply a drop of the undiluted Roundup directly to the cut. Come back 5 minutes later and reapply if it looks like it soaked it up.

I get invasive vines (several kinds), and work my way through an area backwards so I don't accidentally spread the Roundup.

For the record, glyphosate will not work for the OP this time of year. It needs to be applied to thriving green plants in warm weather. The secret to glyphosate is that it works best when the plant transports it from the leaves to the roots. That happens most when the plant is actively growing, and is not water stressed.

 

[yeldogt]

You need to just keep spraying the vines -- use a 3-4 tablespoon to gallon mix from the industrial concentration formula (45% or something like that).

It will work .. Have had to do battle at my city properties when I bought them. Most time the neighbors are clueless on what to do -- so if you ask them they normally are fine with killing even more.

 

[Sweetcorn]

I love chemicals and pesticides as much as the next guy, but if I were trying to kill a 10" wide strip of dirt/vegetation, I'd salt it. Nothing grows on salted soil for a loooong time.

In a situation like that, that soil will not be conducive to growing anything for years once salted.

 

[Toolfool]

When I lived in Washington, the blackberry vines were the biggest problem. I used Cornerstone Plus. Had to treat each spring.

 

[dcg9381]

Another vote for Roundup (glyphosate). I buy it in off-label quantity at Tractor Supply... It has variable concentration, but it's very effective. Worst case you have to apply it twice, but it absolutely destroys everything sort of cedar...

 

[CraigStu]

I also use Brush-B-Gone in a pump up sprayer.
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Chapin-Spe...6981&msclkid=065994721b7b1e2582edf43992331025
Mix it per instructions and keep the sprayer handy. Having ruined the week of Christmas once trying to get rid of poison oak, I won't touch anything like that until it's been dead a while. Spray it 3-4 times per month. Eventually it will kill nearly everything. When everything has been dead brown for a month, then cut it and remove it. Continue to keep the sprayer handy.

 

[KenC]

I have a similar issue with Asian honeysuckle. Spraying works but can drift to 'good' plants. What does work best for me is to just cut the vine, 12-18" above the roots and dip the cut end into a container of undiluted Roundup, the 41% stuff.

Works every time.

 

[sick467]

Another vote for TORDON...lethal on everything you apply it to. I have been killing thorny locust, honey suckle, grape vine, Osage orange, poison ivy vine, and cat's briar with great success for seeral years now. I have not had any collateral damage unless you count the partial death of a large thorny locust that happened when I killed out the smaller locust trees under and around it. Theye were the same species and may have been connected at the roots.

It does not take much at all. Most people over use it. One 15-20$ bottle will kill A LOT of trees/vines. Cut the plant at the ground (or close) and paint a blue ring around it where the bark meets the woody potion....roots are now invalid!

 

[LJZ]

Mornin:
Have been fighting some wild rose and Grape Vine **** I didn't tackle fast enough in a wild hedgerow. Had no luck with roundup. Talked to a Cooperative extension person that said I needed to get to vine, cut it say a few inches to couple feet from roots. Brush on a product with high content of Triclopyr. I used Brushtox from Tractor supply. Worked fantastically. On some more spread vines had to repeat. Its nature. Them vines want to kill all the trees. The big problem is done but have to go out every late winter to mark and them. Hit them as soon as the weather gets **** going but still not much leaf or thicket to access them easy.

 

[boatshoes]

Roundup/glyphosate is most effective when absorbed through leaves, not through roots or vines. If you want to attack vines or roots you probably need something else.

 

[rlitman]

Roundup/glyphosate is most effective when absorbed through leaves, not through roots or vines. If you want to attack vines or roots you probably need something else.

This is not exactly true. Glyphosate when used as directed (diluted) is most effective when absorbed through leaves, and is not at all effective on bark and roots. It is of limited effectiveness on green vines, due to the low surface area for absorption.

However, the concentrate is devastatingly effective when applied directly to the plants vascular system (during times when it is actively flowing). That's why I suggested cutting the vine at an angle with a knife and applying it to the cut.

 

[Arkansas COB]

Plus one on the Tordon but you have to apply it to a fresh cut for best results.

Try RM43 vegetation control. Its a bit expensive but it works.

 

[branimal]

I've got most of the vines cut 6" above the ground. I've got about 10oz of roundup leftover in the basement. I'm going to inject the roots with undiluted roundup using the turkey baster. At that point I've only invested $10. If things don't work out I'm going to check out Tordon and other methods described here.

Will update the thread in a couple of weeks. It's 66 degrees and sunny in NYC so we should get some growth in the next couple of weeks.

Thanks guys.

 

[ZRX61]

In the South we deal with Kudzu which you can almost see grow in the Summer. I carry around a spray bottle mixed 50/50 with Brush-B-Gone and water and spray each vine as I cut it. Also works on privet and poison ivy.

What's the issue with Privet? It's cultivated for hedges in Europe.

 

[ZRX61]

Looking at the pics, I'd remove the chainlink fence, practice a minor scorched earth attack along the problem area & once every is dead plant something agreeable.

 

[scheu]

2nd Tordon. It's also bright blue in color, I can see where I've put it. Controls hedge trees nicely.

 

[TriumphFan]

What's the issue with Privet? It's cultivated for hedges in Europe.

It's invasive as heck. Not only does it grow like a hedge which makes it tough to get through, it also spreads like crazy and is fast growing.
When we bought our property we knew we had a creek but couldn't see it or get to it due to the privet. I've still got groves of it I'm trying to eradicate.

 

[MrSurly]

Chinese wisteria... I've been fighting this battle for the twenty-five years I've owned this house. The property behind is a large cemetery that is happy to leave its perimeter wild. They have had NO interest in doing ANY control even though I told them way back then that the wisteria would kill the big pine trees there; they didn't care. The four big pines are long gone now and their wild wisteria farm virtually inundates my yard every year.

 

[JHenke]

Copper nails into the lowest part of the vine as possible.

 

[nadogail]

Despite the Cancer Warnings; I use Round Up.

 

[Burl]

Another vote for salt.

 

[branimal]

For the guys who've said use rock salt .... i've tried this in other areas and the weeds grew right back.

If I were to give this another shot, how densely should I cover the ground?

I don't want anything growing back there. At some point the chain link fence is getting ripped out.

 

[iamanshikarai]

nice

 

[joey1320]

For the guys who've said use rock salt .... i've tried this in other areas and the weeds grew right back.

If I were to give this another shot, how densely should I cover the ground?

I don't want anything growing back there. At some point the chain link fence is getting ripped out.

Why not just rip out the fence now?

 

[TractorJeff]

Sorry!
Somehow I got the impression it was a 4 FOOT space between the Fences!
10 INCHES?
I would take the fence down.

 

[CJDave]

Roundup also comes in a 1 gallon container with a built in battery powered pump and folding wand. The spray will certainly reach further than 10" when sprayed through the chain link. CJDave.

 

[LS6 Tommy]

Looks like wild grape. Two cut procedure with undiluted Tordon or 20% Glyphosphate works well. Cut EVERY vine at head to shoulder height, (helps ID old vines later) and then a second cut near the soil line. In early March or mid September when the stumps are dry and NOT weeping sap, apply Tordon or Glyphosphate to the cuts. I learned that from a PA Forestry Service Manager. It's what they do to control outbreaks of grape vines after timbering.

Tommy