Vines covering tree trunks--how to deal?

[Anonymous]

What does it mean when vines are growing up tree trunks? Is it bad for the tree? How do you get the vines removed and what kind of cost is involved? Also if you have ivy ground cover, is it easy to replace with something else? I always heard rodents like to live in those ivy beds.

[Anonymous]

I know it slowly kills the trees. Don't know what to do about it.

[Anonymous]

Is it ivy?
I've heard you shouldn't pull it down while it's alive as it can hurt the bark. Use a pair of gardening shears and cut the ivy at the base of the tree (I cut out a 12 in section of it). Let the ivy die (wait a few weeks) and then you can pull the ivy down from the tree.
Removing ivy is a pain. If it's a smaller area I would probably just keep it trimmed back and contained.

[Anonymous]

Cut the ivy. Haven't you ever seen a tree with ivy starting halfway up where it has been sliced off and the ivy dead on the tree? It's leaching nutrients and rotting the tree. Then rip it all out of the ground. I did it at our last house. It was a long day and a half's work but if you get it at the root it doesn't come back.

It's easy to replace with mulch and a planting bed of whatever you want- even mondo grass/vinca/whatever. I think rodents only live in the ivy if you have rodents. If you don't in your area, don't worry. If you are in a rowhome near restaurants, definitely get it gone as there's probably vermin close-by. You may want to get an arbourist to assess your tree if it looks bad though. I know ivy is slowly killing a couple trees in the park nearby as the ivy hasn't been cut. Even if it's cut now I don't think anything's bringing those trees back to health.

[Anonymous]

Ivy is heavy and is bad for the tree for that reason (the weight makes it more likely to fall). It doesn't kill the tree, though.

[Anonymous]

It's good to get rid of it though as it can keep the base of the tree wet and therefore promote rot. I agree that it's easy enough to kill if you go all around with a pair of shears or loppers and cut the vines -- what's above will die, just be careful not to damage the tree bark itself. You can dig up what's around the base of the tree and mulch, just don't create the dreaded mulch volcano, piling mulch up around the tree itself -- that is terrible for trees and can weaken or kill them. Mulch should always be pulled back from around the tree itself to leave the trunk and base of the tree exposed. You could try a native shade ground cover depending on the tree -- some trees have really shallow roots and it's hard to get anything to grow under them.

[Anonymous]

Same as pp advice, I also cut through the vine as the base. The ivy went way up into the tree (huge oak). This was in November of 08. Pieces of the dead dry vine are still falling from the tree. I didn't pull it off the tree because too much bark was coming with it, so I just let it die off naturally.

[Anonymous]

Those invasive vine weeds are the worst - they grow every which way, have underground vine networks, suck all the water and sunlight for your trees and evergreens.
I'm constantly surprised that MoCo let's them stay on all the county trees along the roads and highways since the trees die in 2-3 seasons and then need to be chopped up.

Cut and saw the vine as close to the ground as possible. Then buy a tar or thicker vine weed killer and paint over what is left so it feeds the root system and dies. Tell your neighbors too, those things go through and under fences all the time.

[Anonymous]

Kudzu vines are the big problem around here, neighborhoods, parks, roads, yards. Way worse than ivy.

Try can grow a foot a day if having good rains and sunlight. The also kill and twist along everything, taking away water, nutrients and sunlight from native plants and trees.