Reader, Carole reports that bittersweet is swallowing up her property. Seeking advice on organic bittersweet control, she writes:
For a few years when we first moved in, I went around every few weeks and cut the bittersweet back, but hey! I'm 65 years old now, and anyway, I have better things to do with my time. The bittersweet has brought down a number of very tall locust trees, and I am just grateful that I am able to keep it out of several spruce trees that are important to me. I can't use herbicides because, well, I'm concerned about the other vegetation and wildlife. Do you have any tips you can give me for organic bittersweet control? Frankly, I wouldn't mind it staying around in moderation, but it appears that moderation is not something that bittersweet understands.
My response:
"Believe me, I sympathize with you. Like you, I prefer to stay organic; also like you, I have bittersweet on my property. Unfortunately, your options for organic bittersweet control are pretty limited -- mainly just a lot of pulling and cutting. But in the spirit of "moderation," there is one easy thing you can do to moderate bittersweet's growth:
"To slow down bittersweet's assault on your trees, simply cut the thickest vines. Just one cut (anywhere from ground level to waist-high, say) will be sufficient. The idea is to keep nutrients from passing from the root system up to the higher parts of the vine. This won't kill the bittersweet (since the roots will still be intact), but it will slow it down."
Photo ©2006 David Beaulieu (licensed to About.com)
Comments
I’ve just discovered an effective and easy way to deal with buckthorn and am wondering if it will work with bittersweet also. It’s only part of the solution, and works only on vines you can reach, but it helps.
Basically, you just pull off all the leaves. The plant then starts to put them out again, sending its energy all the way out from the roots to the highest end. Then you pull off each leaf as it emerges, before it can nourish the roots. This way, not only are you easily and quickly (tho fairly often) slowing the plant down, you’re also wearing the heck out of the energy in the roots.
Cutting the branches, as another writer suggests, is an important way to allow your trees some breathing room. If possible, do it when there are no leaves on the vine, as a vine full of dead leaves can be fairly unsightly, if anyone cares. Also, do NOT use a chain saw; those pieces fly.
Also, I have gotten rid of a lot of bittersweet just by pulling out the roots, although it doesn’t get all of them all at once. Wet soil gives them up most easily. After you’ve pulled as much out as you can, after a few days a significant part of the emerging root that’s left will die back, making it easier to pull more of it out.
Hello there. I saw the comments posted about bittersweets control. I have a question about bittersweets as well. I planted bittersweets 10 years ago, and they grow profusely, but they have never produced fruit. Any answer would be appreciated. Thanks so much.
Martha,
Very interesting points. Thanks for sharing.
Kathleen,
This link may help:
Bittersweet