Just the word ‘weeds’ is bound to induce sighs and eye rolls in gardeners across the world. No one wants to encounter any type of unwelcome weeds and have to deal with their onslaught. But, if you do, it’s important to know how to deal with it.
When it comes to Morning Glory, the case can get quite complicated. People may want to keep these plants because they have beautiful flowers, but they are harmful to other plants because of how they grow and spread.
Now that you know Morning Glory can be an invasive plant and how to stop or control its spread, you can keep your other valuable plants safe all year long.
There are many who regard weeds as simply a plant growing in the wrong place. With its pretty flowers, Morning Glory would probably fit the bill.
But there are also those who consider Morning Glories a noxious weed that should be removed. Laws are coming soon, and it’s likely that the plants will be added to the USDA Federal Noxious Weed List.
However, the Convolvulaceae family, which is also known as the Bindweed or Morning Glory family, includes a lot of different plants. There are so many kinds of plants that it can be hard to tell which ones are weeds and which ones aren’t.
Morning glory vines are popular flowering plants known for their trumpet-shaped blooms that unfurl in the morning sun But their aggressive, spreading growth habit can quickly turn them into a nightmare for gardeners Left unchecked, morning glory can take over flower beds and become a stubborn weed.
If you’re dealing with an unwanted morning glory infestation, there are several effective control methods to permanently get rid of it Here are the top techniques for eliminating morning glory for good
1. Cut Down and Remove Vines
The first step in managing morning glory is to cut back and remove as much of the visible growth as possible Here’s how
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Use loppers, garden shears or a string trimmer to cut back vines to ground level. Remove any twining stems from structures, trees and shrubs.
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Clear out any morning glory vines climbing through desirable plants carefully to avoid damage.
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Once vines are cut down, gather and dispose of all debris. Put in yard waste bags or burn if allowed in your area.
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Repeat every 2 weeks throughout the growing season to exhaust the plant’s energy stored in the roots. Persistence is key!
Cutting back morning glory prevents the plant from photosynthesizing and producing food energy. Without foliage, the roots will eventually weaken and die. But keeping vines under control is critical.
2. Uproot Vines and Remove Root Systems
In addition to cutting back morning glory vines, you need to eliminate as much of the root system as possible. Here’s how:
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Use a garden fork or shovel to loosen the soil around vines.
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Grab vine stems close to the ground and gently pull up to remove as much of the roots as you can.
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Shake off excess soil and follow roots down into the ground to uproot as much as possible.
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Dispose of all root material and repeat weekly to continually weaken the plant over time.
Digging out roots is labor intensive but very effective. Even small root fragments left behind can resprout, so be diligent. Solarizing soil can help kill remnants left in the ground.
3. Apply Herbicide Treatments
For heavy infestations, chemical control using systemic herbicides may be necessary along with manual removal methods. Glyphosate products like Roundup are effective against morning glory. Use these tips when applying herbicide:
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Always follow label directions carefully for correct usage and safety.
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Spray weed killer directly on the leaves of actively growing morning glory vines. Avoid contact with desired plants.
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Systemic herbicides like glyphosate translocate down through the roots to kill the entire plant. It may take 1-2 weeks to see effects.
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Repeat applications may be needed on any regrowth. Don’t spray during high winds to avoid drift.
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Dispose of any treated plant material carefully according to label guidelines. Do not compost.
Herbicides provide the most thorough control when dealing with severe morning glory infestations. Use them strategically in combination with manual removal techniques.
4. Deplete Energy Reserves in Roots
Morning glory roots and tubers store carbohydrates that fuel growth. To starve the plant, continually cut back top growth and dig out root systems. Here are some depletion tips:
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Start mowing or string trimming weekly in early spring to prevent vines from growing.
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Remove new shoots manually as they emerge to stop photosynthesis and energy production.
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In fall when plants start to die back, remove all dead vines and dispose of properly.
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Turn over and break up the soil frequently with a tiller or shovel to disrupt root systems.
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Solarize the soil with black plastic in summer to bake and kill remaining roots and seeds.
It can take over a year of depleting the roots before the plant runs out of stored energy. But the steady disruption prevents morning glory from regaining strength.
5. Block Sunlight to Prevent Growth
Morning glory needs sun exposure to grow. Blocking the light prevents photosynthesis. Here are some methods:
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Cover areas thickly with mulch, newspaper or cardboard after removing top growth. Use organic mulches like wood chips.
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Lay down commercial landscape fabric or black plastic sheeting to block sun. Secure the edges well.
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Stack boards, bricks or stones on top of problem areas to smother morning glory.
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Allow desirable plants nearby to shade out and cover areas where morning glory emerges.
Without sunlight, morning glory shoots cannot emerge from the soil or will die off quickly once sprouted. Keep cover materials in place for at least a full growing season.
6. Call for Professional Help with Severe Problems
In some cases, morning glory growth may be too extensive for home gardeners to tackle successfully on their own. Don’t be afraid to call in professional help when needed:
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Landscape companies can apply commercial-grade herbicides not available to homeowners. This provides superior root system control.
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Professionals have truck-mounted brush chippers and mowers that can completely remove dense ground cover and debilitating vines.
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They can excavate and sift soil to eliminate every piece of roots and tubers – especially helpful in badly infested gardens.
Completely renovating a heavily infested garden provides the clean slate needed to start fresh. Though spending the money hurts, the results are worth it long term. A one-time investment saves many future headaches.
While morning glories are beautiful vines, their aggressive spreading and climbing growth makes them a challenging weed in the garden. But don’t give up hope – a combination of cutting back vines, removing roots manually, applying herbicides and disrupting growth can eliminate even severe infestations over time. With persistence and dedication to control measures, you can rid your landscape of unwanted morning glories for good.
Common Questions About Getting Rid of Morning Glory
Controlling unwanted morning glory vines takes commitment and effort. Here are answers to some frequently asked questions:
How long does it take for morning glory to die after cutting it back?
It can take 1-2 months of weekly cutting and root removal before morning glory vines will stop resprouting. Severing their food production weakens the plant over time.
Is morning glory considered an invasive weed?
Yes, several types including common morning glory (Ipomoea purpurea) and bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis) are invasive weeds due to their rapid growth and ability to displace desired plants.
What is the best herbicide for morning glory?
Systemic glyphosate products like Roundup are very effective when sprayed directly on morning glory leaves. The herbicide translocates down to the roots to kill the entire plant.
Can you get rid of morning glories naturally?
Yes, continually removing vines and root systems manually, mowing and mulching areas can eliminate morning glory without chemicals. It just takes persistence over time.
Will morning glories come back every year?
Only if control measures are not continued season after season. Morning glory sprouts from seeds and regrows from root fragments left in the soil. Eliminating both prevents regeneration.
With the right techniques and dedication, even the most stubborn morning glory infestation can be successfully eliminated from your garden and prevented from returning. The work is worth it to reclaim your landscape for the plants you want!
Invasive Morning Glory Plants
When it comes to invasive Morning Glory, these are some of the main species to look out for:
You may know this plant as field bindweed or convolvulus arvensis. It is a climbing plant with pretty pale pink or snow-white corollas.
This perennial vine was introduced into North America via crop seed dating back to 1739. It originates from Europe and Asia. As an invasive species in the USA, it threatens plant crops and invades roadsides and grasslands along streams.
This is a deep-rooted plant that spreads across the ground until finds a structure it can climb. The roots spread widely vertically and horizontally underground to form dense mats. They can grow up to 6 feet long and cover any buildings or plants they come into contact with quickly. Studies have shown that a dense infestation of this plant can reduce crop yields by 50 – 80%.
Convolvulus arvensis has arrowhead-shaped green leaves with white or light pink trumpet-shaped flowers appearing from July to August. It reproduces from seeds, roots, stems and rhizomes, making it one of the worst plants to eradicate once established. It can also grow in sun, shade and anything in-between and is drought tolerant.
Calystegia sepium is a plant with a weak long curly stem up to 14 feet long.
Hedge Bindweed is just as invasive as Convolvulus arvensis, and its flowers and leaves are the same, but they are bigger. It’s hard to get rid of because the underground network of fibrous roots and rhizomes can grow up to 10 feet long. Plus, it has the ability to grow from any bit of root, stem or seed left behind.
Calystegia sepium produces allelopathic biochemicals that influence the growth, germination and reproduction of any other plants in its way, effectively killing them off. It has no known pest or disease issues, so no luck there for a solution to its rapid invasive growth.
It invades crops, pastures and streams, and areas along roadsides and railroads. So far, this plant occurs in 57% of all the counties of the USA, infesting hectares of land.
Because the plant has grown so much, it is very hard to get rid of using the usual chemical or hand methods. There are people lobbying for biological control, but this takes time and is not always effective.
Ipomoea purpurea is an annual climbing vine, parts of the plant are toxic to humans and pets.
Even though these annual herbaceous climbing vines aren’t as bad for the environment, they are still a problem and could become one if they aren’t controlled.
Ipomoea purpurea originates from Central America and Mexico and has become naturalized in many tropical areas. It has heart-shaped leaves with large trumpet blue or white flowers in summer and into early fall. The vines can reach up to 10 feet tall.
This plant produces seeds triangular in shape that are also used as a psychedelic drug. This has resulted in some commercial growers coating any seed they sell with a toxic compound. As a member of the sweet potato group, it’s also important to know that some parts of the plant are harmful to birds and people.
Ipomoea purpurea will grow more vigorously in warmer conditions, kept down in freezing conditions and high frost. But, it can come up again in the spring and summer year after year. It grows best in rich, organic soil, but it can be found almost anywhere and has learned to handle poorer soils and areas that have been disturbed.
It is a big problem along waterways and warm, damp places, and is considered a weed in farmland. This plant competes with native species for everything from space to water, nutrients and light.
Ipomoea indica is a noxious weed, that spread rapidly and causes leaf and stem lesions.
This species of Morning Glory has been declared a noxious weed and invasive plant in over 15 countries. It spreads rapidly from stems and stolons and produces seeds dispersed by wind, insects and animals like birds.
The seeds germinate easily, giving the plant its ability to spread rapidly. It can go over other trees, shrubs, and groundcovers and suffocate them. It also takes away the plants’ food, water, and light.
Even though it’s not a big problem in the US yet, this plant is well on its way to becoming the next Morning Glory weed that people don’t want to grow. It should be avoided, especially in the warmer regions of the country.
There is a silver lining to getting rid of this plant. It is attacked by a fungus-like plant pathogen known as Albugo ipomoeae-pandurata, or White Rust. This pathogen makes sores on the leaves and stems that stop the plant from growing and spreading.
Morning Glory Management & Control
When it comes to controlling your morning glory, you have some options. Whether you planted it or have decided it’s no longer welcome, there are ways to get rid of this plant. By far the easiest method, is prevention, though. Most people plant morning glory without knowing its invasive tendencies. Let’s take a look at each aspect of management and control.
To loosen the ground, get all the weed roots, and pull them out, it’s best to dig the soil up well in the fall and spring.
The best form of controlling any of these weeds is prevention. Don’t buy any plants, seeds or take cuttings for the garden.
In fact, it’s best to check the invasive plant species list in your state before planting anything. Of course, most nurseries will follow the law. But sometimes the law needs to catch up with how an invasive plant grows. Gardeners will also know which plants are invasive from experience.
It is very expensive to get rid of invasive plants on a large scale. The cost depends on things like the terrain, the cost of labor, the number of weeds, and the types of weeds that are present. With prevention, that cost is eliminated.
Don’t let the vines bloom and sow seeds, which will prevent sprouts next spring.
The first thing to do when trying to control an invasive weed is to prevent it from seeding.
The best way is to pick off the flowers and in the summer, pick off any seed pods. Be careful not to spread any seeds, and then put the pods in a plastic bag to throw away.
Do not put any discarded material from any part of this plant in the compost. Even hot active compost will not destroy the seeds.
You can also pull the weeds out by hand, but it might take a long time and be hard work.
Any seedlings that show up must be found early and dealt with quickly, and follow-up sessions are necessary to get on top of the problem.
Before any seedlings can establish, hand pull the plants and dig out the roots. Place all plant material in plastic bags to break down or discard.
Vigilance will be necessary for several growing seasons before the invasion is under control. Remember that any part of the plant can grow back, and for some species, seeds can stay dormant in the ground for 20 years.
