Honeysuckle & russian vine

[MrNick]

Both have appeared in my boundary hedge which is a mix of thorn, beech holly and white beam I just cut the russian vine at the bottom a couple of times a year and and that seems to control it. The honeysuckle appears to be far more aggressive though. The small bit that came last year affected the bit of hedge it grew in (a bit of beech) in that it didn't grow like the rest of the hedge.

I've just spent some time pulling and cutting the honeysuckle out, the dam stuff had crept and layered itself for at least 10 feet either side of the place it first grew. would it have overcome the hedge given time? I intend to treat it with some homemade glyphosate gel as it re grows do you think this will kill it, will it kill my hedge as well?

[peatff]

Russian vine is virulent stuff it killed a whole blackberry plantation we used to pick a few years ago. Honeysuckle grows in a hawthorn hedge I walk by and it never seems to do it any harm and it's been growing through it for a few years now untouched.

[nepia]

A different take on the two plants there... I treat Mile-a-Minute as the weed it is but I encourage honeysuckle; it's native and useful to pollinating insects as well as being beautiful in flower. But I'd be surprised to see it damaging a hawthorn hedge. If it does compromise a bit of hedge just do what you have - cut it back hard. It'll re-grow, no problems.

 

By the by I find that if you can get at the roots of the Vine you can usually pull them out. Sometimes of course the thing's too well established but for the first few years it can be done.