Approximately 10 years ago morning glory was planted throughout our backyard. They have now spread into our neighbours yard and are overtaking their garden. Is there an easy way to remove unwanted morning glory?
I would be very surprised if someone had willfully planted Calystegia sepia (morning glory) all over your yard, unless they had something against the previous owners. Typically, morning glory spreads by rhizomes (horizontal underground stems), which are, like the above-ground parts, extremely vigorous and strong. Above-ground stems also have the ability to produce roots and new rhizomes where they touch the ground. Unfortunately, morning glory also multiplies easily with poor weeding technique; well-meaning weeders often inadvertently break the semi-elastic, but ultimately brittle, rhizomes when they pull stems out of the ground. Worst of all, new plants can be propagated from exceptionally small rhizome pieces, so digging and especially rotovating can make matters much worse. Because it is an aggressive twiner, morning glory can produce a significant amount of foliage (i.e., vertically, upon shrubs, trees or structures) on a small amount of open ground; the roots and rhizomes will be much more laterally extensive. Vegetative growth produces sugars (from photosynthesis), which feed the rhizome network, creating a vast reservoir of energy for continuing growth or regrowth. This is why cutting the top off of a morning glory hardly slows it down. Control is simple in theory, but seldom achieved. Calystegia is ultimately not very tolerant of heavy shade, infertile soil nor extended drought and so, tends to favour moist, rich ground in sun or semi-shade. However, because it usually has a huge root and rhizome network with plenty of reserves, it can tolerate horrible conditions for a long time before it starts to suffer. For example, it often emerges from the ground in heavy shade, under shrubs, or through stony, dry soil, but eventually makes its way into sun. Keeping the morning glory restricted to the sub-optimal areas by regularly and continually cutting off photosynthetic tissues in more optimal areas will eventually weaken it. Unfortunately, while you mght be controlling its growth, your next door neighbour may not. In other words, theres usually a monster on the other side of the fence, waiting for you to lower your guard. However, if you can involve everyone in the process, the chances for success are increased. The most effective approach to control is exclusion of light. It will usually take less than a year to completely kill off morning glory if it is prevented (completely!) from seeing the light of day. There are various ways to accomplish this, the most effective being covering the ground with carpet, cardboard, layers of newspaper or turf. Notwithstanding European chafer infestations, few things are as good looking while effectively starving out perennial weeds as a healthy stand of turfgrass. Together with repeated cutting where new shoots emerge, the light exclusion method is very effective. Good luck.
My goodness what a mess! I've dealt with this issue before as I've seen morning glory used as a ground cover all because the owner liked the pretty blue flowers. I've seen the pink flowered form also. The form that I am most used to is field bindweed which has the small white flowers. Aside from what Douglas wrote, you do not have a lot of choices. Either you can make it a mission of yours to hand pull the weed out wherever you see it and whenever you see it (I've eradicated field bindweed before by hand pulling it out in two years), you can use a clear polyethylene tarp that is used for soil sterilization to burn it out, use a black plastic tarp to cover the weed to inhibit light and in warm areas also burn it out or and this to some is the easiest solution is use a broadleaf herbicide such as 2,4-D or 2,4,5-T and just spray the morning glory. It will be back and you and your neighbor, if he or she is still speaking with you, will have to spray it allover again. The only way you will eradicate this persistent weed is to effectively deplete the carbohydrate content in the rhizomes. I may have been a proponent of Integrated Pest Management since 1974 but there are times spraying a herbicide is necessary and this may be one of those times. Jim
Hello, Thanks for the info, I am surprised this thread died, because the MG is so rampant in the GVRD, I am wondering, if I have my weedkiller spray handy and spray the little baby shoots whenever I see them, will this be as effective as yanking them? I am fairly diligent, but wow, as soon as may hit, there must be 15-20 new shoots throughout my yard per day, Im afraid it has made it all along my fenceline and all along the 2 sides of my garage. I am ready to eradicate it and i have now just read how to do it, Im sad that this is the only way, to starve it of light and carbs, but if it must be done this way, IM gonna do it, thanks
Oh the Glory in the Morning...being a west coast gardener I have been battling this thing for years. 12 years ago I move into my husbands house, he had a huge unmanaged garden FULL of morning glory. Having babies around, I did not want to use herbicides. I went at it by hand with a fury. I found that the best way to really get at it was to go underneath the sections of fence and house and shrubs where the roots were amazingly long, twisted and growing with an absolute veraciousness. When I discovered these roots it did not surprise me that no matter how much I tackled the leaves and vines, it always grew back within a few rainy days. After getting at most of the roots, the problem became much more manageable, however I did notice after 2 years from my divorce and departure from my husbands house it was reigning supreme once again. My new garden was invaded by morning glory from the neighbour's unkept backyard mess, despite the huge solid wood fence I built between our yards when I moved in. I tackle it with joy and the conciousness of feeding the fish in the tank in the boys room (which would otherwise starve, their experiment at pet ownership). Of course it comes back, but I'm winning the war. My advice to you is too keep at those roots. Look for them in nasty places, where the spiders crawl and the wood bugs flourish. Where the thorns on the bushes poke at you until you look like the garden sprinkler and the grimiest dust swirls up your nostrils leaving you sneezing till midnight; where your knees will becomes so disrepaired you won't wear a skirt for a month, and your manicure looks left over from your Christmas party. Good luck !
thank you very much for your helpful reply. my knees are dark and caloused, my back aches and my garden is thriving, the catipillars seem to love the new addition to my yard hehe. Its such a great feeling to rip out a pound of yellow MG roots from deep under the fence or along the garage foundation, but then the sight of new MG leaves popping up close by where you were working for an hour on your hands and knees is a DEPRESSING sight... hehe, Ill keep at it though Any tips for catipillars? I have pets and kids so chemicals are out of the possibilities, ive been turning over the leaves and squishing them but they seem to be related to MG and keep popping up, they just LOVE my Gai Lan and lettuce, Have a great weekend!!! I just noticed you are in BBY, me too hehe
Here's a useful tip. Ipomoea (Morning glory) if burned will not grow back in the same spot... sounds strange but in my home in Southlands in Vancouver, where damp soil is common and MG is very prolific there, the burning technique worked... I do not suggest a blow torch on the scale of either Mad Max or Aliens, but a BBQ lighter worked for me.
HI Vert, sorry, I have not shared the caterpillar problem. I've seen only a few of them. Maybe the squirrels around here eat them ! Be well in Burnaby, it's a beautiful place !
Good evening I apologize for renewing an old thread, but I really need some advice from gardeners with more experience than I have (which would be approx. 1.5 months) So, if I am reading correctly, there are four main ways to join the morning glory battle 1) give up and live with it 2) yank up every scrap you can, any time you can, to remove as much biomass as possible and to prevent the roots from restocking their food stores by thru the leaves. add a black-out mulch (for a year?) 3) apply a pesticide (round-up) to any visible leaves 4) burn it out (?) The situation: we just bought a house in New Westminster (lots of shade, and it must be fertile, because we have LOTS of weeds). We have no grass in the back yard, it is all ivy, buttercup, and morning glory. I am winning the battle with the ivy, have decided the buttercup makes an acceptable grass substitute (pick your battles...), but the moring glory is growing back almost as fast as I pull it out. Oh yes... our neighbors on two (of three sides) LOVE morning glory and are quite willing to share. Would someone please describe the mulching and the burn-it-out methods in greater detail. thanks...Elaine
ive been at it since spring and seem to be doing ok, but if your neighbors are not cooperating, you can nevr win, unless your winning standards are low. My neighbor used weed killer and it helped, but the MG is only visible in a few hard to each places around my yard/garage and the border between our 2 properties. I ripped and dug out all the MG i could find over the past 6 months, my knees show my efforts, the roots are the target, just tearing them off above ground is only a short term solution. only a small piece of root (1cm) can re root and start growing towards the light and start a new settlement of MG so be careful of how you dispose of the MG Imo, weed killer is only a short term solution as it only kills the visible part of the plant and the real culprit is the roots which can extend for a few feet to hundreds of feet of inter twining MG conduit. I hope I am winning the battle, but from what I understand it could take a few years to conquer it and only if my neighbor is as diligent as I am G/L
If it is the ubiquitious bind weed with white flower, I have found only one solution. pull it out when you see it and every day go look for it! even if you mulch with cardboard or carpet for months those little roots are waiting for the first disturbance bringing in light. burning probably is as effective as pulling, in that you don't see it afterwards. but the little rootlets below the singed ones are waiting to multiply exponentially. rumor among gardeners around here is the roots can be 14 feet long. so I just get rid of what I see as frequently as I see it. Round-up does work on the first few leaves and over time if you always get those initial leaves, there may be some decline. I just decided pulling was the best and least harmful. the best weed killer is the gardener's hands. di
oh-boy! I have just signed up to participate in this discussion - MG is such a nice plant when in strict control, and so insidious when not. In all my years I've never had a chance to propogate or buy any MG, because my neighbours in several yards have shared their mg absolutely free. The best solution I have found - 1 - let your neighbour(s) know you are launching a counter-attack, explaining why MG is a problem to you, and, if they still wish to keep it, that you will work on your own side of the fence. If they share your view, engage them to help or to at least give you access to their side of the fence. They should be warned that there may be some browning on their side if your efforts reach back to their side (should be able to keep this to a minimum, but no use in expanding the theatre of war by surprising them...). 2 - in my experience the rhyzomes do not grow much more than 4" deep (after all, they want to sprout to the surface any chance they get). So, dig along the base of your border with the neighbour. Dig deep and square down, invest the effort and go way past either side of the expected infiltration section. The goal is to sever any roots coming your way. Bury a long-lifed impermeable border along the fence line from just above the surface to as deep as the material or your digging (that rolled up metal or plastic rippled border edging stuff is inexpensive at $ store or garden shop, about 6" high). Backfill from your side. You have now pretty well stopped future root intrusion. 3 - take advantage of that nice loose soil on your side. Fluff it up, pull out as many mg roots out as you can find. Mix in some yummy organic material, plant some herbs or a row of lettuce, or marigolds, or whatever. Monitor closely over each of next few growing seasons. Keeping the soil loose on your side will let you pull entire pieces of root that may grow. You now have control, you will easily win over in just a couple of years. 4 - Monitor for above ground green encroachment. Pull of anything growing over to your side. This is where you may pull through from neighbor's side of fence and damage some vine on other side and cause some brown-ness for them. Sheesh! As if they have to worry about losing their little monster! Have hedging or trees getting encroacment above ground? All you need to do is trace back the vine coming from the other side and break it. Any growth on your side will quickly brown and soon be gone. If you are picky or in a highly-groomed spot, just pull the vine off (but this is necessary only for aesthetics). Many colours of MG, long bloom periods, lots of nice climb-y green - just don't ever let it loose from that container you are growing it in!
I found out through trial and error, ( 20 odd years ago) that the most effective way for MG to be removed was to continuously dig and remove the roots. As stated in daveyd's post the roots do not seem to penetrate more then 4 inches below ground level. It took three years before I had the MG under control but I did it. Now I am in a new place and find the problem is much more intense and involved then where I was 20 years ago. So, once again I am going to tackle this with hands on labour. My neighbor's have agreed to allow ME to work their side of the fence so I have every hope of this becoming controllable within 3 to 5 years.
Re: How to remove unwanted Morning Glory or "MG and forum threads" OMG! This thread is like the MG it is about! Just when you think it is under control/dead, ... boing! Yes, you must get the neighbours on-side if you are going to win this battle. Let's admit it, MG will win the war. When we moved into our place, MG and I squared off, then went at each other bare-knuckle. After a few rounds (years), it went back into its corner and effectively stayed there. Until... the new neighbours, who like the "natural look", moved in. MG had just been biding its time (like RichardIII). The time was ripe. It struck. With vengeance, fury and blood (the blood was mine). Last year it showed up in a garden almost thirty feet from their property! And now that the gardens are established, it is far more difficult to go at it with a spading fork. Oh, most pernicious and wily adversary. The gloves are off again.
Hi, Where I am there is a difference between morning glory's which are annuals but can reseed themselves and often do. The other "morning glory" is called bindweed which is actually a weed. A very invasive weed. It's flowers are like little morning glory flowers and are white. This weed is a nightmare. It seems like nothing will kill it other than the very toxic sprays used by orchard/farm owners or golf course owners etc. My advice would be, if in a garden, to dig up your wanted plants and pot them or relocate for now making sure there are absolutely no traces of the weed root with them. That would be opening a whole new can of worms. Read this next part from the University of California.... Landscape fabrics such as polypropylene and polyester and other mulches such as black plastic or cardboard have been effective for bindweed control if no light is allowed to reach the soil and the plant. The edges of the fabric must overlap so that the bindweed stems can’t grow between the sheets and into the light. If holes are made in the fabric or plastic for plants, however, bindweed can also grow through these holes. A landscape fabric placed over soil then covered with bark or other plant-derived product (e.g., organic matter) or rock will likely keep field bindweed from emerging. It might take more than 3 years of light exclusion before the bindweed dies. Once landscape fabric or other mulch is removed, new bindweed plants might germinate from seed in the soil; be sure to monitor the site and control any new seedlings. Complete death of the plant under the mulch takes 3 to 5 years. I have used the weed cloth with mulch approach and it has helped big time. as long as everything is covered up. I have been fighting this miserable weed for almost 20 years and I am telling you, once you get it you have a never ending battle. I have to finally give in and rip out my rock garden to deal with it once and for all....damn this bindweed!!!!!!
I read an article years ago that claimed they had some success controlling bindweed by raising the pH of the soil with lime. Unfortunately, when I come across it here (Vancouver = Canada) it's usually mingling with a Cedar hedge or Rhododendron.
My last home had similar issues with morning glory, blackberry over growth...i tried everything, but they kept coming back. after visiting Costa Rica, i was introduced to the nicotiana rustica plant which has been used by south american cultures as a weed and bug killer for thousands of years. i brought the seeds home and grew several. they are very nice looking, sweet smelling butter yellow flowers. the leaves once boiled down, make a nice bug and weed killer. spray the base of ANY unwanted tree, shrub or weed on a sunny day, allow the sun to dry it out. within 5 days it will be dead, i use full strength on blackberry, dock and morning glory, but dandelions and other weeds only need 2 oz per litre of water. this is a natural method, but extreme. also kills ants. ( was used on south american army ants ) if you can not find any and would like some seeds at no cost,message me. i can send you some. peace.
Where can I get the seeds for the nicotiana rustica plant? Do you have some to spare? If you do my address is ***removed personal info***. I have tried so many things and none have helped, it seems like it is even worse this year than in previous years. My e-mail is ***removed personal info*** Thank you.
i will put the seeds in the mail tomorrow. i live on a small island and our mail takes some time, 28 days to ontario...i swear they make some poor old hippy carry it out on his back it takes so long! either that or they use the turtle express! i have so many seeds from previous plantings and would be more than happy to send anyone else who would be interested in growing their own weed and bug killer. secondly, if you can not wait for the plants to grow, which is often the case, 2-50 gram pouches of tobacco boiled down and strained will also work. cut the plant back to expose the roots and give roots a good shot. its best to use when you will have at least 3-5 days of hot sun in a row. the more intense the sun, the faster it works. some plants need more than 1 application.
How might the use of this nicotine-based weed killer affect other plants around the morning glory? Our garden has strawberries, raspberries, rubarb, and asparagus but it sees intrusions from morning glory and canadian thistle. Very annoying.
when i use either tobacco or nicotina rustica leaves, i have had no problems with plants nearby. it stays where you put it until the first rain (why some plants needing a second application) . we use it at full strength on dock and blackberries as well as morning glory. the thistle and dandelions,crab grass, buttercups,etc take 2 oz of the weed killer boiled down, with 8-10 oz of water. if it does not rain within 7 days, and the weeds have been killed off, i water down the area, then the grass either moves in or the garden takes over. we also use it on ants, as we live on a island that is mostly sand, ants love sand...lol . like i said, its kind of drastic, but it works well for those who have tried everything else. good luck.
i feel i should mention that nicotiana rustica is a tobacco plant, and boiling down into a concentrate should be handle with great care, as any contact with concentrate could lead to tobacco poisoning, like smoking 35 packs of organic cigarettes. it is important to wear gloves, a long sleeve shirt and pants when applying to weeds. the plant its self will cause you no problems, it does not drip resin as some tobacco plants do, and is still used to this day in making cigars and 'blunt' wrappers. ( for rolling medicinal marijuana for those who prefer organics to rolling papers) my husband makes his own cigars from the leftover leaves i do not use....he says its a smooth smoking cigar, with a mild taste...if anyone is interested
I live on Bowen Island, and am apparently loosing my battle with morning glory. In an attempt to help, my husband keeps weed eating it which ihas now spread it across the yard. Our nursery does not carry the nicotiana rusticated seeds, and would like to find some. If anyone has some they could spare, or knows of a nursery that carries them I would appreciate the name. Thank you.