Wisteria is something that many people underestimate. If you have wisteria growing in your yard, then you likely already know that it’s quite pretty.
Some people really enjoy the way that wisteria looks quite a bit, and it’s also a very fragrant plant. It looks beautiful and it smells really nice, but this doesn’t mean that you can let your guard down around this vine.
You need to be wary of wisteria because it’s such a fast-growing vine that it can completely take over your other plants. Many gardeners have made the mistake of leaving wisteria alone and have had to deal with it taking over large areas.
If you have wisteria in your yard, then you’re going to need to decide whether you want to control it or if you wish to kill it. Killing it is going to be a lot easier than trying to control it.
Below, you’ll find information about how you can kill wisteria effectively. This should teach you what you can do to get rid of wisteria so that the rest of your plants can be safe.
Cut the Vines Back to Ground Level
One of the first things that you should do when trying to kill wisteria involves cutting it back. Take the time to cut the vines back to ground level.
This should keep the vines from spreading further and it can help you to eventually kill the wisteria. Of course, just cutting the vines back isn’t going to completely kill them.
You’re going to need to apply some sort of herbicide spray to the vines to kill them off. You can actually find sprays from big companies that are specifically made to kill wisteria.
Getting one of these sprays will allow you to get good results. You can cut the wisteria back as close to the ground as you can and then spray it to finish it off.
Spraying the stump that has been cut should allow you to get rid of it for good. This is the most reliable way that you have available to you to kill wisteria.
Sometimes wisteria can be a bit stubborn, though. It isn’t necessarily easy to kill and you might notice sprouts coming out from the stump despite the fact that you sprayed it with herbicide.
This means that you might have to spray the stump several times to truly kill the wisteria. It can be a bit frustrating, but you might need to check back every so often to ensure that the wisteria is truly dead.
Not Everyone Likes Using Chemical Methods
Of course, not everyone likes using chemical methods to kill wisteria. It’s true that using chemicals to get the job done can wind up harming other plants in the area.
Getting rid of wisteria naturally is not always going to be easy. You can start by trying to pull up young sprouts by hand.
Cutting the wisteria to the ground is a good idea when you’re going the natural route. You’ll want to bag up the wisteria that you’ve cut up and dispose of it properly.
The cut wisteria branches and seed pods can wind up being problematic. Get rid of them as fast as you can so that you don’t cause new sprouts to appear in other places.
You have to be very thorough when trying to remove wisteria to kill it naturally. This can be a slow process and it might be tough to get the best results without using any type of herbicide.
That doesn’t mean that it isn’t possible, but it’s certainly going to be a chore. You’ll have to do your best to remove the wisteria and dispose of it to keep new sprouts from appearing.
Controlling Wisteria
Another option is to control the wisteria instead of trying to outright kill it. This is going to be a time-consuming process because of how fast wisteria grows.
Essentially, you’re going to need to learn how to cut back wisteria properly to keep it from getting out of control. Pruning is going to be a very regular thing if you’d like to keep wisteria in your yard.
If you slip up and forget to prune wisteria, then it can easily overtake an area and become a huge problem. In fact, wisteria can even take over buildings if you ignore it for long enough.
Is trying to control wisteria with aggressive pruning practical? For some people, it can be, but it’s going to require you to pay a lot of attention to what’s going on.
You’ll need to assess the wisteria regularly and you’ll be spending a lot of time outdoors cutting it back. In some ways, attempting to kill the wisteria is going to be much simpler.
Final Thoughts
Never underestimate how much wisteria can grow in a short amount of time. This fast-growing vine has the potential to take over large parts of your yard if you don’t pay attention to what’s going on.
Wisteria has taken over trees in peoples’ yards and it has even taken over homes. You’re going to need to stay on your toes if you want to kill or control wisteria.
For the most part, killing wisteria is going to be a lot simpler than trying to control it. It isn’t necessarily easy to kill wisteria, but controlling it involves very regular pruning.
To kill wisteria, you’re going to need to cut it back to the ground and then apply herbicide to the stump. Sometimes it takes several herbicide applications to truly kill the wisteria.
This could damage nearby foliage, though, and that’s why not everyone wants to use chemicals to kill wisteria. It’s possible to try to eliminate it by cutting it back and pulling up new sprouts by hand.
It’s pretty tough to kill wisteria without herbicide so you should keep your expectations within reasonable limits. You can get rid of wisteria, but you’re going to have to work to get the job done.
Now you know everything that you need to know about killing wisteria. Do your best to utilize this information so that it doesn’t take over your yard.
Ben has a bachelor’s degree in construction engineering. When not constructing or remodeling X-Ray Rooms, Cardiovascular Labs, and Pharmacies, you can find him at home with wife and two daughters. Outside of family, He loves grilling and barbequing on his Big Green Egg and Blackstone Griddle, as well as working on projects around the house.
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