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Morning Glories are gorgeous. But boy, are they pesky and weedy! 3 years ago, I planted two varieties along a fence and to cover a trellis. They were simply stunning that year. They grew fast and covered the fence and trellis and caused much comment. But in the final analysis, it wasn't worth it and it's not even a close call.
For the past two years, I have battled morning glories all over my yard. I didn't know that the seeds spread like crazy and they are persistent. The vines are tough and stringy and hard to pull. I have hoed morning glory seedlings all summer this year and still they are coming up. Everywhere. And driving me crazy. So unless you can deal with morning glories everywhere for years afterward, don't plant them! I wish someone had told me before I made all this work for myself.
This is for morning glory (MG) vines that you can actually tell where they are coming from (ours come up from where the soil meets the foundation). I read about using white vinegar/Dawn dishwashing detergent to kill weeds, and decided to give it a try with this year's scourge of MG.
I took a quart plastic bottle and filled it to just over half with undiluted white vinegar, and drizzled lightly with the original formula Dawn dishwashing detergent. You don't need very much, it is a strong surfactant and its sole purpose is to allow the white vinegar to adhere to the leaves and vines. It is best to spray the vines and soak the soil (and where you see the vines coming up along the house, or wherever they seem to originate from). The point is that you want to soak the brand new tender growth. The sunlight also acts as a magnifier, and accentuates the 'burn'.
Within hours, you can see the foliage start to wither and 24 hours later it is more pronounced. It takes several days for the killing effect to happen, as the acid in the vinegar needs to be absorbed into the plant.
If the MG is invading an area that you are NOT trying to grow anything else, add a 1/2 cup of table salt to your dishwashing soap/vinegar mix in a quart bottle. The salt will kill most plant life (good AND bad, it does NOT discriminate), and will render the soil useless for plant life for at least 1 season (if you get a lot of rain, it may speed up the process of rinsing the soil). I tried this on some stubborn weeds, and it has been three years now. I am starting to see some weed growth, and I want to avoid planting 'good' plants until the soil looks like it can support life again. ***USE WITH CAUTION FOR THIS REASON***
Unfortunately, my MG problem is mixed in with plants I love, so salting the solution is not an option. Good luck to you!
Too many morning glories is a fairly easy fix. In the spring, put down old sheets, material, or newspaper and put leaves and straw on it and praises to be the few scattered outside. Those you can decide which to keep and which to pull. At the end of the year, you just dump the mulch and lay sheets, etc. back down and do again next spring.
I do my entire flower gardens this way for weed control, but sheets and newspaper usually only last one summer whereas the material (sewing kind) will last for 5 or 6 and sometimes even more.
By gbk from south GA
As you can see, morning glories can be extremely invasive. There is a mobile home under the second mound of greenery. We made the mistake of planting the "seedless" morning glory from some branches I got from a neighbor.
Although I can't imagine anyone not loving these beauties, I will admit they can be prolific self-seeders. However you can use the same procedure to get rid of them as you would any other unwanted plant.
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
Morning Glories are taking over all of my flowers! I've tried pulling them, but they come back fast, and they're choking my roses. Is there anything that will get rid of them without killing my flowers?
I have the same problem. I am just trying to be diligent about pulling out the morning glories as soon as I see a new one popping up. I also will go after the vines with the clippers if they start to climb onto other flowers and plants.
I hate to tell you but I've been trying for 30 years to get them out of my garden and lawn. I've pulled up, cut down, even tried burning. All to no avail. It's the roots that are the problem, unless you can figure out a way to get them all out. If you find a way PLEASE let us know.
I used to love this stuff and think it was so pretty and charming. I now think it is the most ruthless and insidious of all garden flowers....it will take over and choke out all your other plants. I pull it out every time I see it, which helps, but I would also appreciate a more permanent solution.
They will tear a fence down, if left alone!! My son dug them up, and so far, so good!!
I'm heartsick! I live in a two-family house that the owner is still working on and the front yard is messy and depressing! Yesterday, I planted a few Morning Glory/Moonflower seeds at the foot of the two porch posts on either side of the steps to the porch. This morning, I found the two plastic-wrapped seed packets I'd used for markers along w/ a note telling me they'd "removed" the seeds because vines are not to be grown near a "home".
Morning Glories are taking over all of my flowers! I've tried pulling them, but they come back fast, and they're choking my roses. Is there anything that will get rid of them without killing my flowers?
Trust me they did you a huge favor. Terrible weeds. They will take over in just one season!
A guy planted 2 morning glory plants in my planter and said it was his moms favorite flower. I have 3 acres and they are all over my entire 3 acre property all in a matter of 3-4 years.
How do I rid my lawn of morning glory vine? I live in the Willamette Valley in Oregon.
I pull mine out by hand. You have to be very vigilant.
I am sorry you want to get rid of your morning glory. I get it that they can become invasive. Have you tried to train it up a pole/trellis and keep it controlled? They can be so lovely when they are controlled.
If you truly want it gone, it is a long process you have to get every vine going to the end and getting all the roots. It may take one or two seasons to make sure you have found them all...as their roots/feelers travel.
Chemicals can be used, but I avoid them at all costs because not only do they kills off other things you may want, but if you have dogs, stray cats or children in the neighborhood you could be setting up for a dangerous situation. Plus these chemicals leach into the watershed and can poison drinking water (yes, I am a bit of an old tree hugger--safety first!)
Good luck!
If you ask most people about using chemical means for killing weeds most will say no they do not wish to use chemicals because .......
This is a popular question on ThriftyFun so you might want to read some of the previous answers/suggestion:
www.thriftyfun.com/
these plants are notoriously hard to eradicate - pulling them by hand or chemicals are the way to go
I've been stuck with morning glories for years because my next door neighbor planted them and they got into my back yard. While pretty, they grow over everything else you've got. Months ago, when I saw the seedlings come up, I went out and started pulling them up by the roots. It's easy. Each day I'd pull up 50--70, until I didn't see anymore. As the weeks went by, I'd find less. Today I pulled up about 15. I don't have a huge yard, so this is doable. I'm pretty sure I won't have the problem this summer, with them taking over everything the eye can see in my yard. Next year, I hope to see far fewer sprouts come up.
I have read that trying to pull them out by the roots is the worst thing you can do, because each tiny broken root will grow a new plant!
I have just started a new garden and in making new beds now find sprouting up all over what I believe is the above (morning glory) which I have never encountered before. Seems to come from deep down and breaks off when pulling. How to get rid of it?
By Dee H
Why get rid of it, when it blooms in the morning, the flowers are really pretty. Get a trellis for it to climb on. My late aunt had morning glories climbing a trellis in her yard and she never had trouble with it spreading.
Morning Glories have ruined my garden spot. Completely choked out my tomato and pepper plants. It's time to plant turnip greens but I know it will destroy them too. Hate, hate them. Most invasive pest I've ever seen!
How do I rid my flower beds of morning glory?
About the only way is to pull it all up by the roots.
I planted some and it has absolutely taken over my flower bed, even the underneath of my porch. In my flower bed it's like I don't even have any dirt. It's only roots. It did not overcome my iris, canna, or rose bush. Help me please.
By Amy C.
The morning glory is an annual, but will aggressively reseed itself the following season. It took me years to fully get rid of the vine, due to it reseeding itself. I still love morning glories, just in someone elses garden!
How do I get rid of convolvulus also known as graveyard ivy? There is quite a lot in the bushes at the back of my garden.
By Peter
