Virginia Creeper Troubles

[Cherry-blossom Girl]

I live in a row of three terraced cottages. Our neighbours at No. 1 have grown a virginia creeper up the front of their house, which our neighbour at No. 2 either likes or can't be bothered to keep in check, it has therefore spread over the entire surface of their house. I however, am trying to grow an old fashioned variety of rose up the front of my house, but currently spend most of my life up a ladder chopping back the dratted rampant virginia creeper! Does anyone have a plan more cunning than a bag of cunning things, or will I get the ladder out again this year?

[pigletwillie]

go to the end house at night with a saw

[The Grock in the Frock]

try weed killer and a balaclava

[peter]

Balaclava's don't work as plant killers, I tried them on a laurel bush once.

A copper nail in any main stem should work, albeit slowly, great advantage is its near impossible to find.

Before anyone asks I do not know how many nails a Leylandi would need.

[oldherbaceous]

Cherry blossom girl, what a lovely name.
You could always plant a russian vine in your garden, and in two years time you won't see the creeper anymore, actually you probably won't be able to see any of the cottages at all.

Kind reards a cunning Old Herbaceos.

Two wrongs don't make a right but sometimes it makes you feel better.

[peterf]

i know a chap who had a similar problem with the dreaded vine.his solution was mix up a pint of round up 20-1 dilution,then wearing a pair of nitral rubber gloves put on another cheap pair of woolen gloves over the top,soak your hands in the round up solution and gently stroke every bit of your neighbours invading vine that is on your property.at first there was no signs of any herbicide having been applied to the the vine, but after 3 seasons it ran out of steam and became an eyesore.his neighbour then dug it out saying it was hideous,end result 2 happy neighbours one of them non the wiser.honest it was just a chap i once knew

[Cherry-blossom Girl]

Thank you for all the marvellous suggestions it has cheered me up greatly.

I am sorely tempted by the round up solution - will the creeper go all brown from my side of the houses and then spread across - giving the game away and getting me in a heap of trouble?

[Sue]

I think the secret Cherry Blossom Girl is to use the very diluted mix PeterF suggests.

RoundUp is a systemic weedkiller. If you use a stronger mix it will travel through the vine, but it's likely to show die back from your end first and you may have some explaining to do. In a more dilute form it should travel through and gradually weaken the whole plant without killing off the growth your end.

I confess to doing something similar with my neighbours plants They have Russian Vine, Devil's Ivy and Boston Creeper planted on their fence - talk about a who's who of horrible creepers I spend my whole summer hacking them back to the fence line otherwise.

Sue

[Cherry-blossom Girl]

Aaaah I get it - thank you. My only problem now is explaining what I am doing up a ladder spraying the cursed vine!!!

[Chantal]

You could be checking the pointing on your house? Or cleaning the windows? Or checking the telephone or TV cables? Or sneak up at night but take some ID in case the police turn up.

[lizzie]

Hey Cherry Blossom Girl

How about putting up some bird/bat boxes while you're seeing to the vine? After all, you need to wear gloves when hammering, don't you

[Tigger]

Am I the only person that likes Virginia Creeper?

Wait for resounding YES.

[Johnboy]

Hi Tigger,
I really like Virginia Creeper just so long as it is growing up somebody else's house!!
My house was covered in it years ago but I got rid of it. It still grows on some of my stone walls and a couple of barns but that too is coming down soon as the barn is to be renovated and modified into stables.

[Chantal]

My house was covered in the stuff and looked terrific, especially in the autumn, but it was damaging the brickwork. It's now been moved and scrambles over the garage which is concrete that's bolted together so it can't do any damaged. It does however sneak in under the roof and hang down inside, along with several clematis.