I have several ornamental plants and shrubs which are being invaded by other plants growing within them.

Is there anything other than tedious manual removal that can stop these parasites from regrowing in my host plants and shrubs?

Parasites? Do you mean weeds? There are mulching and planting techniques to reduce weed growth. More info and photos would help m

NMoasis said: Parasites? Do you mean weeds? There are mulching and planting techniques to reduce weed growth. More info and photos would help m

Well, it's too late to take a picture now, I just got done pulling the weeds and vines manually yesterday.

By "parasites" I mean weeds and one of the worst reoccurring weeds is a choking vine which grows entwined with a few wild rose bushes I have. The other problem growths are crabgrass, very aggressively growing in my ornamental grassy plants (I have 25 of them, I don't know what they're called but they are low and green with white stripes) and what looks like bermuda grass growing in the same grassy plants as well as a few small and low bushes. Sorry, I don't know their names either.

All of my ornamental plants and shrubs are in beds covered with heavy duty weed block and 3/4" stone but that was done years ago and these parasites, as I call them, grew up in the hole that was there for the original ornamental plant or shrub.

I will try to remember to take a picture before I pull the weeds again.

When talking about plant parasites, most of us think of dodder and mistletoe... And maybe broomrape.

As far as unwanted plants that come up among your desired plants?
Suggest refreshing the mulch.
I wouldn't use gravel for mulch... Wood chips do a much nicer job.

Crabgrass is an annual. If you keep it from going to seed, it won't be back.

Bermuda grass is a perennial that spreads by above ground stolons and underground rhizomes. If you are just pulling what grows up through the hole in the weed barrier, you are only pulling the tops off. The main plants are underground, under the weed barrier.

Couldn't guess what your choking vine might be.

Parasites are plants attached to the host plant and using it for sustenance (like Dodder or Mistletoe). You have weeds, not parasites.

Based on your description, I can tell you know the difference. You've got some nasty ones. Lucy's comments about the grasses are good advice. I wonder if the vine is convolvulus.

One of the most impractical long-term landscaping decisions is rock over weedblock fabric. Good idea for the first season, then what happens is exactly what you're describing. Both materials make it impossible to fully pull weed roots. (Not to mention making it impossible to improve the soil, but that's a different subject.)

The only way to reduce the weeds is to dig out the roots, and in order to accomplish that, you'll need to remove the fabric and rock. Yes it's a big fat ugly job. Then apply several inches of organic mulch. With ongoing maintenance, over time the weeds will reduce in numbers. Each year, replenish the mulch. And your soil will become healthier.

Another option is highly selective application of herbicides, which I won't recommend. Just letting you know that is a method some people use.

I feel your pain.
Some of your nice plants may have to be dug up and have all the other roots pulled out, then replanted.

There are pre-emergent weed controls for crabgrass, if that's what have, that you can use around ornamentals safely. Barricade (prodiamine) and Dimension (dithiopyr) are both excellent controls for annual weeds.
Fusilade (fluazifop) and Poast (sethoxydim) both control grasses, including bermudagrass, without harming non-grasses. If you're careful around ornamental grasses you can use them as long as you don't get them on the ornamentals.

Pre emergent might help with the vine ,( for example I often pull bittersweet vine under shrubs. ) But ONLY if you are able to cut out the existing vine roots.

stone said: When talking about plant parasites, most of us think of dodder and mistletoe... And maybe broomrape.

As far as unwanted plants that come up among your desired plants?
Suggest refreshing the mulch.
I wouldn't use gravel for mulch... Wood chips do a much nicer job.

Well, removing and replacing about 4 tons of beautiful stone (not gravel) is not going to happen.

I tried wood mulch about 40 years ago when I lived in New Jersey and the results were near catastrophic. I eventually removed the wood mulch and replaced it with 3/4" stone after paying the exterminators thousands of dollars to treat for the termites the wood mulch drew to my house.

To reiterate, the parasitic weeds are not growing out of the stone (which covers the heavy duty weed block), they are growing right out of the same hole that needs to be there for the ornamental plant.

NMoasis said: Based on your description, I can tell you know the difference. You've got some nasty ones. Lucy's comments about the grasses are good advice. I wonder if the vine is convolvulus.

One of the most impractical long-term landscaping decisions is rock over weedblock fabric. Good idea for the first season, then what happens is exactly what you're describing. Both materials make it impossible to fully pull weed roots. (Not to mention making it impossible to improve the soil, but that's a different subject.)

The only way to reduce the weeds is to dig out the roots, and in order to accomplish that, you'll need to remove the fabric and rock. Yes it's a big fat ugly job. Then apply several inches of organic mulch. With ongoing maintenance, over time the weeds will reduce in numbers. Each year, replenish the mulch. And your soil will become healthier.

Another option is highly selective application of herbicides, which I won't recommend. Just letting you know that is a method some people use.

I looked up "convolvulus" and that's not it. The vine-like weed I am talking about has somewhat pointed saw-tooth edge leafs each about 1/2" and that weed is only growing on the wild rose bushes. It is extremely strong and I cut it off at the ground line because it is so hard to pull, then it grows right back.

I am 6'8" and 300 lbs. and I can get a good grip on the vine-like weed and it will not pull out no matter what so I end up cutting it off at the ground level. I imagine it is intertwined in the roots as well as it the rose bush once it breaks the surface.

As I explained before to a previous reply. I thank you for your suggestions but I will live with the weeds before removing tons of stone and replacing it with termite bait.

When new growth does occur, can you post some pictures? That might help with ideas for controlling the weeds.

CalPolygardener said: When new growth does occur, can you post some pictures? That might help with ideas for controlling the weeds.

Yes, I will take a picture of the "vine-like" weed that is strangling the wild rose bushes when it regrows. The wild roses are about 12 years old and about 5 feet high and the vine-like parasite (as I call it) grows back in a few months. It will probably be photograph-able in about 3-4 weeks. I never really timed it but it has been annoying me for about 5 years now.

You have addressed the others that I described (crabgrass & burmuda) and I will be applying a pre-emergent as you recommended. I possibly caused the bermuda grass problem myself because I was seeding my lawn over the years and there must have been some seed overthrow. Although it also may have crept over the rocks (or under the ground) to bridge the gap between the steel lawn border and the nearby ornamental plants.

BigRich said:The vine-like weed I am talking about has somewhat pointed saw-tooth edge leafs each about 1/2" and that weed is only growing on the wild rose bushes. It is extremely strong and I cut it off at the ground line because it is so hard to pull, then it grows right back.

I am 6'8" and 300 lbs. and I can get a good grip on the vine-like weed and it will not pull out no matter what so I end up cutting it off at the ground level. I imagine it is intertwined in the roots as well as it the rose bush once it breaks the surface.

That's starting to sound like Trumpet Vine, which is very invasive and difficult to near impossible to eradicate in some climates. The leaves eventually grow larger than 1/2" though, but if you're pulling them often, that would explain why you only see smaller leaves. A picture of it when it grows back enough will help. The only progress I've been making with it is to cut it about 1" from the ground and immediately put a straight dose of the highest concentrate of glyphosate on the open cut. That way nothing else is killed with the herbicide and it gets sucked down to kill the roots. When you try to pull them out, the tiniest bit of root left will grow into a new plant. When you cut them back, you double what will grow back. It's like playing Whack-A-Mole.

But whenever you're able to get a good photo will help with the ID to be sure of what you're battling.

I'm guessing of course, but Oriental bittersweet is another guess. Yes if its rooted and grown a few years, you'll never just pull it.
I would guess the roses would grow back from even a very drastic prune- which you might have to do to be able to properly apply an herbicide to the vine.
Might have to remove the whole rose bush and replace. Or prune way back, dig up and clean out the roots of the rose, then replant.

BigRich said: Well, removing and replacing about 4 tons of beautiful stone (not gravel) is not going to happen.

I love my rocks too but I didn't put weed guard under them. I do have to dig them out periodically.

The only way to get rid of the bermuda grass (and maybe the annoying vine thing) is to follow the roots . I had quite a bit when I first moved here (old almond orchard). Nothing would kill it except digging it up. I followed the roots under plants (and had to replant them) and under the rocks (and had to move them out of my way) but I got rid of it. It took a couple years of hard work.

I think you will have to move rock and weed cloth and dig out the roots of all your nemesis weeds (and replant a few roses). I can't imagine a poison that will kill those sorts of weeds without harming a rose.

Murky said: That's starting to sound like Trumpet Vine, which is very invasive and difficult to near impossible to eradicate in some climates. The leaves eventually grow larger than 1/2" though, but if you're pulling them often, that would explain why you only see smaller leaves. A picture of it when it grows back enough will help. The only progress I've been making with it is to cut it about 1" from the ground and immediately put a straight dose of the highest concentrate of glyphosate on the open cut. That way nothing else is killed with the herbicide and it gets sucked down to kill the roots. When you try to pull them out, the tiniest bit of root left will grow into a new plant. When you cut them back, you double what will grow back. It's like playing Whack-A-Mole.

But whenever you're able to get a good photo will help with the ID to be sure of what you're battling.

Thank you Murky, and sallyg, and Lucy68 ...
Actually I think you have it. I seem to recall seeing those trumpet-like flowers one year before I cut it out.

You may all think I'm nuts but if the battle requires some of the extremes you all have suggested, I'm throwing in the towel on the roses and let the Trumpet Vine have its way.

I'll battle the other weeds with some of the suggestions in here short of removing the rocks. Right now it's a pain but I'm too old to play in the rocks.

Thank you one and all. I will post a picture of the vine when it reappears and it should be hearty if I stop trying to beat it back. It seems like it was winning over the roses anyway.

Where my trumpet vines were coming up was mixed in between peonies and daylilies on both sides of the fence, and a row of hostas, bugleweed and some phlox planted on my side. Using the targeted application of glyphosate on just the cut stems hasn't damaged anything growing with the vines, and it's really mixed in everywhere. You do have to be very careful to not spill any, apply only a dab to the open cut, I don't even let a drop fall onto the soil or any other leaves, and this year I'm finally seeing a lot of progress in eliminating it. I think I only applied it to a few plants early summer and haven't seen anything since this year.

It can be done, but it's really tedious and you have to commit to keep after it. There were many times I really wanted to just give up in the summer heat trying to find them at the soil level and painting the poison on the cut stems. When they're growing in between other plants, once you cut it, it's hard to find again to apply the poison. I started putting my pruners with the tips pointing directly to the stems to help me find them again.

But if you have the space for trumpet vines, not on a fence or your house (it'll eventually bring down any fence or trellis), I'd say go for it. Be warned they will be sending up suckers all over the areas surrounding the vines including in your grass. About 1/2 mile from me a house has 5 of them shaped into trees. If they all mow at the same time, you see hundreds and hundreds of suckers coming up in the grass not only on their lot, but their neighbor's lawn on both sides as well.

BigRich said: You may all think I'm nuts but if the battle requires some of the extremes you all have suggested, I'm throwing in the towel on the roses and let the Trumpet Vine have its way.

I think trumpet vine is pretty... And it certainly is more wildlife friendly than roses!
They call it "humming bird vine" for a reason...

I keep meaning to get a pic of the humming bird vine next to the local Walmart... So pretty!

Murky said:
.....
But if you have the space for trumpet vines, not on a fence or your house (it'll eventually bring down any fence or trellis), I'd say go for it. Be warned they will be sending up suckers all over the areas surrounding the vines including in your grass. About 1/2 mile from me a house has 5 of them shaped into trees. If they all mow at the same time, you see hundreds and hundreds of suckers coming up in the grass not only on their lot, but their neighbor's lawn on both sides as well.

The location of my wild roses (and now Trumpet Vines) is basically on an island-like spot in the middle of an open field of grass where I mow regularly so its shoots won't have a chance to get more than a few inches high before my mower whacks them. The "island" is about 10 feet by 15 feet and covered in weed block and some folks unfavorite ( ) 3/4" stone and surrounded by steel landscape border.

I have noticed how invasive it is though as I see it coming right over the sides of the little island and trying to go everywhere. I'm sort of surprised it hasn't covered the earth the way it grows.