Vine weeds can pose a major problem to homeowners. They tend to choke out plants and, at the same time, deprive them of light and nutrients until they die.
Vines can also grow around buildings at an incredible pace. Your home will not only become an eyesore, but the vines will provide an avenue for dangerous animals to get into your house.
It is not easy to get rid of vine weeds in the grass. They often get tangled up in the middle of the grass, meaning that you cannot use most chemicals to eliminate them without hurting the grass.
4 ways to get rid of vine weeds in grass
In this post, we’ll look at various methods you can use to quickly eliminate vine weeds without hurting your grass.
We will cover:
- Hand weeding
- Smothering the weeds
- Using home-made solutions
- Using Herbicides
The method you decide on using depends entirely on the size of the garden, whether or not you are ready to kill all the plants in the vicinity, and the type of weed.
Here’s a detailed look at each method and how to implement it to get rid of vine weeds in grass and other plants.
1. Hand weeding
If you are dealing with a small piece of land or the weed has not spread to the whole garden, then consider hand-pulling the weeds out of the ground.
This method can be very effective, especially if you pull out the whole plant.
First off, you will need to put on protective gear such as gardening gloves and shoes.
Basically, cover every inch of skin that will come into contact with the weed. Some species, such as Poison ivy, can cause skin itchiness.
Since most vine weeds have to seek support from other things because of their weak stem, use a long and sturdy tool such as a screwdriver to pry the weed from the thing/plant it is clinging on.
If it is clinging to a tree or the ground, make sure to gently pry it away to avoid harming the tree or uprooting other grassroots in the soil.
Cut off the vines as close to the roots as possible with a sharp object such as a pruning saw. Finally, you will need to pull out its roots gently to avoid some parts of the root breaking while still in the soil as they can regrow.
Wet the ground beforehand to make the soil loose. It will take less effort to pull out the root from the wet ground.
Vine weeds tend to regrow wherever you throw them. Considering the aforementioned, consider burning the plant, cutting them up with a lawnmower, or using special weeding tools.
2. Smoother the weed
Assuming your farm is heavily infested with vine weeds, yet you do not want to incorporate chemicals into the soil, you can try smothering the weed. However, note that this method also kills the grass.
Since vine weeds need sunlight, air, and water to flourish, cutting off the supply can work wonders in killing them. This process is also known as solarization.
One way to do this is by applying a heavy layer of mulch all through the affected area.
Preferably, consider using biodegradable materials such as grass cuttings and dead leaves because they will eventually decompose into the soil, adding to its fertility.
On the other hand, you can use artificial tools to smother the plant, such as plastic sheeting. If used well, the plastic sheet will cut off the supply of air and eventually water. Also, the plants will start drying out thanks to the intense heat build-up.
Before replanting your grass, consider plowing through the garden to make sure that all the roots of the weeds are severely destroyed. Otherwise, the vine weeds will regrow.
3. Using homemade solutions
The trick with dealing with weeds is identifying the problem early enough. This way, you can curb the weed before it starts spreading and get away with using homemade solutions to destroy the ones that have already formed.
After inspecting the garden and noting where the weed has started forming, grab a tub of salt and generously pour it over the weed.
If you want to go the extra mile, cover the section you have just salted with plastic sheeting.
The soil will dehydrate the plant, and the sheet will cut out its sunlight and air supply. Within no time, the vine weed will have dried out.
Another homemade vine weed killer solution you can use is water and vinegar. This method is also only viable if you deal with a small patch of land, as it can be costly.
You need to boil some water and measure it before pouring it into a garden sprayer. Mix 80% of water with 20% vinegar to make a solution.
Pour the solution on the weeds and wait for them to dry out. However, you will need to repeat this process a couple of times so that the plant gives up on trying to regrow.
4. Use herbicides
If you only notice the weed after it has invaded a large piece of land, then your best bet is to use herbicides.
Luckily, these days, you can easily find herbicides that cause minimal harm to the environment and soil. We recommend using Ortho 475705 GroundClear which kills vine weeds to the root.
The Ortho 475705 GroundClear destroys vine weeds.
Before buying a herbicide, you should research whether that particular brand is designed to deal with the specific species of weed that you have.
If it is, ask yourself whether you want to destroy the whole farm or specific weeds. Herbicides are either selective or non-selective.
In short, some brands will destroy every plant they come into contact with, while others will only destroy the weeds.
Most selective herbicides contain either dicamba or triclopyr, while selective ones contain glyphosate.
After purchasing the brand that works for you, grab your protective gear, such as gas masks, goggles, and gloves, and spray the solution as per the instructions.
Try spraying the weeds when the weather is calm and the rains are not predicted to come in a few days.
If it rains less than two days after spraying the herbicide, you will need to redo it again, as some brands wash away with rain.
Also, ensure you keep your pets and small children away from the treated area for at least two days. If you fear your pets might access the lawn, then go for pet-friendly herbicides.
Conclusion
Vine weeds are easy to get rid of if spotted early enough. Try and inspect your garden often to spot any intruders before they become intrusive.
If you happen to spot them too late, use any of the solutions given above to get rid of your problem.
IW’s Chief Editor and a lover of green spaces.