How to get rid of morning glory?

[Kezzlesj]

My husband and I have recently moved into a house that has been overrun with morning glory!!

We have sprayed it to keep it at bay but it's determined to keep growing.

We have a dog, and would really love to have nice vegetable gardens in the future so trying to use as little chemicals as possible.

Any suggestions on how to get rid of this pest? Thanks!

[greygardener]

@Kezzlesj

You have my sympathies. It is very difficult to kill morning glory and you need to be vigilant over a long period to completely eradicate it. As you have found, just spraying something like Roundup probably won't work. 

You obviously need to get rid of all the roots but it is not easy as they can spread over a large area and pulling them out is not advisable as even if you leave a small part behind new vines will shoot. So cut back all the plants then use something like a blackberry killer on the roots and keep spraying any new shoots that pop up. I have also read that Weed and Feed for Lawns (MCPA and Dicamba) kills it but can't confirm. 

If you can cover as much of the infected area with black plastic, weed matting or carpet it can also help smoother the plant.

Keep at it and I'm sure you will eventually get there.    

[Isobel]

Be careful with how you dispose of the cuttings, too. Don't leave them around, or put them in the compost. Best thing to do is to place into a plastic bag and dispose of in the rubbish. 

[Dave80]

Check out this attachment from the garden gurus http://www.thegardengurus.tv/tv/factsheets/pdf/Morning_Glory.pdf (copy and paste in your address bar). Basically nothing short of tree killer or blackberry killer because the weed has actually built a tolerance for glysophate. You could maybe try a mixture of glysophate and dicamba.

[Jason]

Great to see you make your first post @Dave80. Many thanks for sharing that resource and for joining in the discussion. 

Looking forward to reading about your own projects and plans soon. 

Jason

[CathD]

Good luck with fighting it @Kezzlesj. As others have said, if you are persistent and keep at it I am sure you will eventually remove it from the garden and be able to transform it into something special. 

[CathD]

Just thought I would also add a photo to this discussion so others can know what to look out for. I also note that the plant is still sold in some nurseries. I do not recommend anyone plant it!

[Flower24]

Have been trying to get the neighbour to get rid of the one in his garden with no success. He likes the darn thing. It will travel for miles. I thought it was classed as a noxious weed if not it should be. I keep poisening it on my side of the fence and pull it back if i see any tendrels its a full time job. It will strangle anything it get a hold in.

[QuailFlock]

You will not be able to use the area as a vegetable garden if you use Roundup , blackberry/tree killer or Weed and Feed.
You can try boiling water, which will kill the plant, worms and all beneficial micororgaisms. But you can build up the area by adding in compost, organic matters without worrying about the poison.

[Jason]

Hi @Kezzlesj,

Hope all is well.

Just wondering how the battle against your morning glory is going?

Jason