Trumpet vine an unwanted interloper

Q: I have a marvelous large old lilac bush in the backyard that continues to grow well for me year after year. I wasn’t paying enough attention to it this past year, and a volunteer trumpet vine popped up next to it. The vine used the lilac as a trellis. How best do I get rid of the vine without harming my lilac? — G.R., Albuquerque

A: It’ll be a lot of work but being diligent and careful, I think you can win this vine war as long as you start with the controlling measures very soon. 

First, I want you to dress appropriately. You’ll be maneuvering within the lilac and you don’t want to get scratched up. 

Second, you’ll want to have a stout, sharp pair of hand loppers at the ready. A long handled pair might come in handy, but you’ll want complete control of the tools, so as not to harm the lilac. 

Depending on how you want to tackle this project, start at the top or bottom and follow a vine stem for a length and then cut it out. Lots of short cuts might be easier on you and the lilac, so there isn’t any pulling, tugging or breaking of lilac branches. Your aim is to cut out all the vine. Not just some of it — all of it. Then pitch the vine. 

It sounds like you are lucky and the vine came up near the lilac and is not entwined in the lilac’s base. If it is, I suggest you give the area a good watering, then start to pull the vine up and away from the lilac. The more of it you can get out of the ground, the better. 

If you can’t get the vine out completely, I suggest you make a fresh cut and using a small paint or sponge brush, paint the end that is away from the lilac with a herbicide. You need to be extremely cautious when applying the herbicide, making sure you are NOT painting or splashing any lilac root. Consider spreading a plastic trash bag under the vine root, so any herbicide doesn’t accidentally impact any lilac root.

If you dislodged a lot of soil with the pulling out of the vine, mark your calendar and make sure to get that soil back covering the lilac roots within a week. 

I want you to see if there is more vine root that can be pulled away from the lilac in weekly increments. Be extremely diligent about watching for any sign of the vine trying to come back. The more you pull, cut and paint segments of the interloping vine, the better off the surroundings will be. This vine is extremely sturdy so be on guard, especially now you know what you’re looking to prevent. 

Happy hunting and Diggin’ In!

Tracey Fitzgibbon is a certified nurseryman. Send garden-related questions to Diggin’ In, Albuquerque Journal, 7777 Jefferson NE, Albuquerque, N.M. 87109, or to features@abqjournal.com.