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Invasive Vine Alert
The Sustainability Education Action Group of Transition Cheltenham is sending out this alert.Cheltenham Township is seeing the beginnings of an invasion of an extremely noxious weed: "Mile-a-Minute" vine, which can easily grow a foot a day. This weed is a vine that covers everything and anything stationary in its path. It has prickly stems and triangular-shaped leaves that have prickles on their undersides. It is aptly nicknamed Asiatic Tear thumb. It is an ecological threat and should be removed by the roots immediately.
If you find it on your property, please follow Integrated Pest Management (IPM) steps to remove the vine. By following the IPM steps you will be doing your part to making Cheltenham a Sustainable Community.
Step 1**: Remove the plant manually by digging it up. Try to get all the roots. Be sure to wear gloves and long sleeves, pants & closed shoes. Do not leave it lying on the ground. Observe your property for the rest of the growing season to remove new growth that seeds may put out. They start seeding in June.
(continued below )Step 2**: If there is too much to pull by hand you can control it mechanically by regularly mowing it or cutting it with hedge trimmers so the leaves cannot photosynthesize, and seed production will be prevented.
**If you follow Step 1 or 2, put the plants you have removed in the sun where they will dry and die and not have a chance of rooting themselves. Once the plants are dry you can burn them in your fireplace or chimnea. (Note: no open burning is allowed in the Township).
Step 3: If there is much more than can be controlled using the previous steps, use a chemical control – an herbicide. This is the least desirable method because you will be killing other plants you'd like to keep as you kill the vine. A recommended herbicide that is less hazardous to the environment is a 20% solution of vinegar that you can buy from Primex Garden Center. It is not a food grade vinegar; it’s much stronger. Read and follow the directions. More than one application may be needed. Keep in mind that if you choose to use a stronger chemical control there is a cost to the environment in their manufacture, transport, and disposal, especially to our waterways. Stronger chemicals should be the avenue of last resort.
For other details, and to see photos of the vine, go to:
http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/fact/pepe1.htm
Posted by Judith Gratz
7/24/11
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