I have been getting a lot of morning glories for the past few years, they seem to come from the neighbor's yard and they are out of control and don't even take care of their yard. This problem has been going on now for about ten years. How can I get rid of these choking plants and get the neighbors to help as well.
2012-06-20T05:35:55Z
Pulling won't help since it is already wide spread and in other yards as well. Burning is not an option since we are in a burn ban, the county appointed this rule several years ago.
Anne Arkey2012-06-20T04:46:21Z
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So you're the folks who live on the other side of The "Jonses." I have that problem, also.
Without using a product like Roundup which can be hard to control and keep away from plants you want, ripping the damn things up is all you can do, and even then, if there is some root left in the ground it will happily turn into another plant to annoy you. If you put the pulled vines in the compost, they will root also, so you really need to burn them if your garbage collection doesn't provide for yard waste pickup and you can't sneak it in your regular bin.
If you plan to use Roundup, or something like it, use an eyedropper and apply a few drops directly to the leaves of the plant. This will help prevent the poison from getting on your ornamentals. Roundup works by killing the roots, and it is not a quick job -- about 10-14 days for the plant to die.
You can limit the intrusion of wild morning glories but to eradicate them will be next to impossible. Seeds can stay viable in the soil for many years, and will grow when the conditions are right. With a neighbor that is negligent you might as well move. Mowing them as they sprout is the best way. Keeping them under control in your yard will take a lot of work but that is about all you can do. It's the same problem with fire ants where I live. They keep coming, so I just eliminate those that present a big problem. Roundup does not kill morning glories. You would need a different weed killer, but that would also kill the grass. Mow them where you can.
Water lawns only as often as absolutely necessary. By allowing the top one inch of soil to dry between irrigation, you are killing any weed seeds that are sprouting immediately after the irrigation. Train the Turfgrass to grow deeper roots by wetting the soil at least 8 inches deep every time you irrigate. Test it by digging a hole and looking at the soil or by poking a long screwdriver down into the lawn - the dry soil begins when you meet resistance.