Iris Bed

by Toni Trammell
(Lexington, Kentucky)

For the last several years, I have had Trumpet Vine in my Iris bed (which runs the length of my house down my driveway). I have tried to get rid of the trumpet vine for the last several years and last year I tried to ask the question at HGTV and they told me to use Round Up and it would get rid of the trumpet vine and not harm the Iris. Needless to say, I don't have very many of the Itis left and still have the trumpet vine. My husband sprays when ever a new sprout comes up, but it is not working. Could you tell me how to get of the Trumpet vine, so that I can get some more irises?

Doug says - Roundup kills damn near anything that's actively growing unless the dose is too small on big plants.

Trumpet vine is a noxious weed. There is no "magic cure" except persistence.

But there are alternatives to Roundup - and one of those is because most of what you're seeing developing are new seedlings.

Move all your surviving iris out of that bed.

Cover it with clear plastic (clear) and seal the edges so no wind (storm etc) can get under it.

Let that plastic sit there all summer. (do it now!) until well into the fall and hot days are over and the ground under there is well-baked. Note you'll have tremendous growth under there this summer.

You'll find it will "solarize" the soil and kill off most weed seeds including the trumpet vine seeds so that next yer you can garden again in there and handle the odd seedling with a hoe.

Otherwise, start ho-ing and digging and grub out anything you can find.

Good luck with your trumpet vine problem.