Growing Concerns 532: Wild morning glory issues

Late Summer!

Time and consistent attention what gardener needs to best wild morning glory

Dear Janet,

How do I get rid of wild morning glory?

T.H.,

Dear T.H.,

You can move to a new garden. Or keep hoeing and pulling the infested area every week to ten days. That's what farmers call "clean cultivation" and if it doesn't eventually eliminate the weed it does keep it at bay.

After four years of this treatment, albeit with occasional lapses in attention, I can report that I've almost beaten it in a garden that was once badly infested.

Short reports

D.G.  prevented construction equipment from ruining her soil...

...by spreading an eight inch depth of mulch over the paths equipment would follow to install a pool and patio. After the machines finally left and D.G. peeled back the mulch, the soil was still a living, breathing thing. Hooray!

 

Green thumbs up

to educating local gardeners about our effect on water quality. Improving the porosity of our soil enhances plant growth and also opens the earth to filter more rainwater. It's a far better thing than letting that water carry loose soil and debris straight into the storm drains.

 

Green thumbs down

to wrenching on your clippers as you trim plants! It's painful to watch and devastating to the shrub or tree when you clamp down on a limb then pivot your pruners as you would a "C" wrench. That motion mutilates the tissue left behind, opening it to infection, poor growth or death. If you can't cut a branch easily with hand pruners, use ratchet pruners, loppers or a saw.

Originally published 9/6/03