Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Remove those annual vines
Vines are wonderful to soften fences. Annual vines are fun because you can change them out every year.
Leave your perennial vines alone right now, but it’s time to pull out those annual vines like Scarlet Runner bean, Morning Glories and Black-eyed Susan vines.
The University of Minnesota extension says it’s easier to remove these vines now as the stem is firmer.
Start by using your pruner or hedge shears to cut the main stem of the plant. Give your vine a buzz cut, pruning as close to your fence as possible. Lift those stems hanging over! After cutting back as much as you can, start unwinding the stems from the fence. It can get pretty gnarly and take you some time depending how vigorous those vines got! BUT, you’ll be glad you did come Spring because it will all be worth it to have a clean palette to start with at the beginning of the season! Be sure and compost those vines too.
If you have a seedy vine like morning glory put down a pre-emergent herbicide in areas where you DON’T want the plants to sprout. I personally don’t plant morning glories.
The flowers are pretty but they are way too prolific for my taste, the flowers don’t last long and they get weedy. It also takes forever to get rid of the sprouts. In fact, I’ve lived in my home since 2012 and I’m still pulling sprouts out from the previous owner!
PS, do NOT apply pre-emergent where you will plant new seeds!
