IVY AND OTHER VINES KILL THE BEAUTIFUL TREES that give our yards and neighborhoods shade and character. Once in the tree canopy, vine leaves eventually block sunlight from those of the trees. But by cutting vines at the ground most trees can survive.
Contact us to volunteer and learn about removing invasive vines at Huntington’s Carpenter Farm Park.
Four Steps to Remove Vines:
- Use garden clippers, quality loppers, or small limb saws to cut, or saw through large vines near the bottom and around the trunk at the base of the supporting tree. Be careful not to disturb the bark. TIP: Wear gloves, a long-sleeved shirt, and long pants to lessen the risk of poison ivy. Many prefer doing this during late fall through early spring when poison ivy is less prevalent.
- Pull the vines from the ground around the tree’s base, making a 2-foot “life saver ring” around the tree. This will protect the tree from future infestations. If the ground is hard and the vines break, work after rain when uprooting is possible. Lay a 2″ thick leaf mulch or wood chips in the cleared area 3” away from the tree trunk.
- If possible, remove berries from the vines, then once cut, leave vines on the tree to die. Do not pull them off because that could harm the tree. The vines will gradually blend into the tree bark after they die. Check up on your tree each year to be sure the ivy on the ground remains off the tree.
- Pull out additional ivy growing along the ground by grabbing, pulling, and snipping as much as possible. Lay the cuttings off the ground to air-dry to prevent rerooting.
For more information on controlling ivy and other vines click Tree Stewards.
- For general information about invasive plants and their control go to the links in the sidebar.
- KUDZU AND GIANT HOGWEED HOTLINE: Residents should take photographs of suspect kudzu or giant hogweed plants and email them to ghogweed@dec.ny.gov. You can also call 845-256-3111 to report.
For more information on removing vines click the following pages: