Pulling vines out of trees

plaindave · Jan 3, 2005

Didn't know you needed to pour the weed killer on until the fall. I've been cutting them off and soaking the cut end in a poison ivy killer in the spring/summer and have had only so-so luck in killing them off.

These vines are a huge mess and I have no idea where they came from. They weren't here 12 years ago when we moved into the house. Just showed up about 3 years ago and are taking over.

djradz · Jan 4, 2005

We just cut them off several feet up and leave them. They dry our fast, rot shortly thereafter and within a couple of years, fall apart on their own. No damage to the tree, no vine to dispose of and time saved to cut more. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Most of the stubs don't seem to grow back, but if they do, 10 yrs from now, we might have to do it again. Guaranteed, there won't be so many nor any as big as the 1'-2" we see now.

Varmintmist · Jan 4, 2005

Thats for grapevines Dave. The state forester reccomended that to kill them. If you have a county extension agent or state forester or extension, they have good info on invasive plants.

I have vine trunks 5+ inches around, Ill see if I can get a pic to show some of the nastier ones.

He said cut them high so they cant reroot and you can see where you have been in the woods, cut them low and squirt them with 50-50 roundup in a hand squirt bottle. A set of loppers is all you need for most of them.

texbaylea · Jan 4, 2005

I am in the process of clearing vines now. I am cutting them off up about 12-14' or as high as my Hy-Reach tree shear will cut them. I plan on leaving them until next fall/winter and for any that have not fallen out and or are a problem, I plan on renting an all terrain man lift and cutting and pulling them out up in the trees. I am grubbing out the stumps as I go along with the yaupon.

Vernon

ns_in_tex · Jan 4, 2005

I accidently came across what I consider GREAT for anything with a bark and is troublesome about killing or coming back.

Tordon RTU

I had vines in my flower bed that roundup didn't faze. All you have to do is snip the vine, tree or whatever, off and apply a little of this Specialty Herbicide, around the bark area of the stump. It kills roots & all.

It has worked on everything I have tried it on, including china berry trees.

LBrown59 · Jan 4, 2005

( I accidently came across what I consider GREAT for anything with a bark and is troublesome about killing or coming back.

Tordon RTU

I had vines in my flower bed that roundup didn't faze. All you have to do is snip the vine, tree or whatever, off and apply a little of this Specialty Herbicide, around the bark area of the stump. It kills roots & all.

It has worked on everything I have tried it on, including china berry trees. )

Dow long does it take it to work?

1bush2hog · Jan 5, 2005

China berry?

Are you referring to oriental bittersweet?

Does Tordon require a license to use? How does it compare to other herbicides?

I used another Dow product last year - REMEDY, in both broadcast(foliar) and cut- stump application, on multiflora rose, oriental bittersweet, black locust, chinese privet, and poison oak/ivy.

While the effects were noticable the following day on some of the treated species, I will be able to measure success more accurately this spring.

1bush2hog · Jan 5, 2005

Some exotic invasive species will require multiple applications of herbicide, depending on the species, and product used.

LBrown59 · Mar 4, 2006

( I'd like to use the front end loader on my tractor to pull a pile of old vines out of some trees, but I'm stuck on two things. First, maybe this is a really dumb idea and I'll end up pulling a lot of old limbs on me and my tractor.

*The other thing is I'm not sure how to hook the vines onto my loader anyway. Let me know if you have any suggestions.Will )
That's what I did yesterday on my Grubbing Project.
Use a long enough chain to stay out of the way of falling limbs and vines.
Don't hook onto to many vines at a time. I learned that lesson after bending 2 of the s hooks on my chains.
Pull real slow and steady - give up and try another tactic if you meet to much resistance
Absolutely no fast take offs or jerking.
I had the vines lift the front of the tractor a time or 2 that's why no running jerks and fast pulls so that you have time to stop and pull forward instead of flipping over backwards or spinning around sideways and flopping over on your side.

*I just wrapped one end of the chain around the vine 2 or 3 times and hooked the other end on the bucket with the s hook.

Don't underestimate how strongly these vines are anchored in the tree limbs branches and the ground.
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RalphVa · Mar 4, 2006

All this winter I've been snipping grape and oriental bittersweet and a few poison ivy vines. Usually snip them near the ground and about head level. They eventually dry up and fall down. Been rescuing lots of black walnut trees. Didn't know they were there until I went looking. Many were covered with vines. It's risky business to just pull on the vines. Can get them tangled up underneath the tractor, rubbing on driveshaft, smoking away, etc.

With a lot of tree canopy, many of the vines won't get started again. If they do, I apply some Roundup or Brush Be Gone. Roundup takes a couple of applications on oriental bittersweet to work, because of their slick leaves.

Ralph