Young House Love

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How To Remove An Overgrown Vine From A Tree

(Punny alternate post title: Heard It Through The Giant Non-Grape Vine)

Ok, so remember the ol’ crazyvine that was putting the squeeze on an oak tree in our backyard that we mentioned last fall? It’s a scene straight outta Jumanji.

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About half a year ago we cut the base of the vine…

2 Cutting Root0

… in an attempt to kill it and rescue our oak tree from its death grip.

2 Cutting Root3

And then it just sat there, a la Rose in Titanic. It never let go. And things took a turn for the ugly when the leaves and branches got all dry and dead.

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So after 6 months of waiting for it to give up the ghost and magically fall from the tree, we decided that we’d need to take matters into our own hands… with the help of some pruning shears. Basically our method was to clip each dead branch off right at the base where it met the vine since we couldn’t wrestle the vine itself from the tree (it was literally as firm as cement on there, and we didn’t want to damage the oak).

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Miraculously we could reach almost every last branch thanks to a ladder and a long handled branch cutter for those upper portions.

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Here’s a before shot for ya from last year:

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And an after that I just snapped this morning:

Vine After2

It’s nice to no longer have what appears to be a tree that’s eating the house.

One more before:

Vine Removal1

And an after from that angle now:

Vine After1

I love that there’s not a giant vine weighting down the oak anymore, and the new openness of the upper patio is awesome. It used to feel pretty closed in – and so many berries and pointy leaves (both of which the vine produced en mass) used to fall all over the table and chairs. It’s nice to be free of that dusting o’ junk.

So that’s how you ignore a vine for a few years, then attack the base, then wait for it to surrender and fall to the ground by some vine-miracle, and then make things happen with some shears and a ladder. Any pruning or yard stuff going on in your neck of the woods?

Comments

  1. Christy says

    That looks great! You both must get such a proud and happy feeling when you step back and see what all your hard work and efforts have accomplished in your yard. I was looking forward to sprucing up my garden, but I don’t dare plant anything new since the inch worm plague is back here in Bon Air. Are you suffering with these, too? My crepe myrtle and rose bushes have all been nibbled down to the bone. Sad.

    Reply

  2. Jules says

    When I read you “snapped” I didn’t read the full sentence and I thought you meant “you” snapped this morning and just ripped it all down. Then I went back and read you snapped the picture this morning. LOL. It looks great. I always like trimming things back like that and trimming up bush and tree limbs. It always gives things a neat and clean look.

    Reply

  3. bekah says

    Well done! There is a HUGE bush thing that is taking over part of our retaining wall that I am hoping to tackle this weekend. This bad boy is so big that I didnt even notice that there is a 20ft flagpole in there until the third time we saw the house. Also in there – an non working water pump and a family of concrete ducks that I am fairly certain are actually set into the concrete of the retaining wall.

    So…thats weird?

    Reply

  4. sara says

    Wow, that is crazy! So glad you were able to cut all the vines down and free the Oak. The two left are so thick … and they look kinda cool wrapping the trunk!

    Reply

  5. Jennifer says

    Looks great guys! The open air definitely makes this porch a better living space. It’s actually kind of cool to have the monster vine twirling around that oak, what kind of vine was it?

    Reply

  6. Stephanie says

    Sometime I might send you a picture of our disaster of a back yard. Ivy everywhere, rogue bushes sprouting up out of nowhere, falling brick planter boxes with trees sprouting out of them… hidden hornets’ nests!! I got stung twice last summer and that was the last time I did yard work. We’re feeling super motivated right now while everything is still pretty leafless… but that could change really quick. Thanks for the inspiration, as always!

    Reply

  8. Kim says

    Funny how some folks are worried about how “intrusive” the clear view to the other house is. Living in the city, I probably WOULD walk around naked outside if that was my closest neighbor! Haha.

    Reply

  9. Susan says

    I’d be really interested in a post of how you guys organize your pictures? This post made me think about because it’s like how do you know where to find an old picture of your porch with the tree in it?! It’s amazing! I think that would really be interesting to hear how you all do it! Thanks :)

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      We swear by iPhoto! It has folders and you can label them (ex: the vine pics were in a category called “pics for later” and that specific folder was “vine on patio”). We created a few categories like “to be backed up” and “final house before and afters” and “to be deleted” and “family pics 2013” and “pics for later” so those seem to help :)

      xo
      s

  11. Barbara says

    So, are you going to paint the remaining vine yellow and start singing “Tie a Yellow Ribbon ‘Round the Old Oak Tree”?

    Reply

  12. Lara says

    I didn’t realize – or I’d forgotten – that you have that outdoor space, too. So that makes three? How do you decide where to hang? :)

    Thank you guys for all the inspiration. John, your crown video yesterday was super helpful. Your house looks amazing!

    L

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      This patio is attached to the lower one (it’s usually where we set out snacks for Clara’s party since the upper patio is too small for most people to actually mill around on). So it’s more like a throughway when we entertain, but when it’s just us sometimes I’ll do laptop work at the table while Clara plays with chalk on the patio :)

      xo
      s

  13. Jen@The Decor Scene says

    We cut down some sort of vine last year that was stuck in a tree. We did the same thing and waited to take the dead branches off. It looks so much better now. It wasn’t wrapped around like yours was and it wasn’t attacking an oak tree, but it was a tree none the less and we felt like we were living in a jungle and I hated looking at it. The tree thanks you and you get a great view now. Enjoy!!! :)

    Reply

  14. Janice says

    That looks so much better! We just pulled out an ugly looking bush that was in our front yard over the weekend! And this weekend we’re gonna pull the same sort of bush from our backyard! And let me tell you the front yard looks soooo much better already!

    Reply

  16. Emily | Sparkle Meets Pop says

    OMG it’s like you have a whole new backyard! I love working on projects like that where it’s major gratification afterwards. You know, back in the day when I did yard work at my parent’s house. Soon, very soon we hope to have a backyard! Remind me that I was semi excited about yard work when the time comes. ;)

    Reply

  17. Jane in STL says

    Looks like euonymous (or however it’s spelled), It does that tree climbing thing and birds deposit the seeds all over the yard then BINGO more euonymous. Yet they still sell it at nurseries to unsuspecting customers in bush form.

    Reply

  18. Val says

    Oh wow! What a difference (much better of course)! Maybe this is weird/random, but I’m a little intrigued/grossed out by this vine… will the trunk of the vine eventually fall off the trunk of the tree so that the tree will look normal again? Or is it something that will always be there? Sorry if you’ve already answered this and I overlooked it. :)

    Reply

  20. Margee Krebs says

    I remember the original post, which inspired me to do the same for a tree-strangling vine in my back yard. Now, just when the leaves are browning and looking pretty gross, you magically provide info on next steps! Thanks so much!

    Reply

  23. Sobeida says

    I remember reading the “ol’ vine post”. I have been looking at some bushes that need to be removed from near the house, they look like they are actually encrusted into the foundation… those roots, oh boy, I don’t think it will be an easy task but it needs to be done, there is a “lovely” ants colony living on them and they have found their way inside the house through the floor, I might get my hands on it this weekend, thanks for the motivation.

    Reply

  26. Phuong says

    Like the pole saw action! When we bought our first one, my husband went into Home Depot and said, “I need a saw on a stick.” And, thus, we became pole saw owners.

    Reply

  27. Erin says

    We had a similar situation but since the tree was at the edge of our property, we just let the vines fall on their own after we cut them at the base. It took TWO YEARS for them to separate!! Talk about clingy.

    Reply

  29. Jennifer I says

    You provide good reminders constantly that having a home and DIY is a process. Took months later to see the rewards of this one!! I first looked at the picture and thought, why not cut down the tree, if it is dying like that…not realizing that all that was THE VINE!! Holy cow.

    Reply

  31. Katie says

    Wow it makes such a difference just getting rid of one plant (Albeit a giant plant), it really opens up the patio!

    Katie xx

    tenantchic.blogspot.co.uk

    Reply

  33. Heather says

    My boyfriend and I have been trying to tackle an agave plant that has been on our property for at least 50 years. It grew from one “mama” plant into multiple “pups”, leaving about 5 or 6 for us to deal with. The mama plant bloomed and died a few years ago and this spring 2 of the pups started growing rapidly (think 6 feet in 2 weeks!). I cut those things down and am trying to get the rest whittled back bit by bit.

    Reply

  34. leila says

    For some reason that picture of John holding the piece in front of the base with the piece missing totally gives me goosebumps, as if it were a missing limb or something. I’m odd like that…. But anyways great results! :)

    Reply

  36. ale norris says

    we have pretty much this exact viney scenario planned for ourselves in the next two weeks. we have 2 awesome oak trees in the backyard that are being suffocated by these rude vines. they’re super, super tall so it’ll be a bit of an adventure to get up there, but i’m up for it. looks great, guys!

    Reply

  38. Maura says

    What a dramatic difference for little or no cost. We have weed trees that are threatening to destroy our chain link fence in the back. Since a new fence isn’t in the budget, I better use this post as inspiration to go attack my own vine…

    Reply

  39. Welmoed says

    Um… That vine sure looks like poison ivy to me. The fuzzy “trunk” is the hallmark of poison ivy. Be VERY careful with discarding the debris; even dead poison ivy can cause horrible reactions to those unfortunate to be sensitive to uroshiol (the irritant in poison ivy). Check on the proper disposal methods.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      No worries, it definitely isn’t poison ivy (I’m hugely allergic and can identify it easily since it knocks me down for the count). That guy had prickly holly-like bushes and red berries :)

      xo
      s

  40. Amy L. says

    Wow- quite a difference. I like that you can see the angles of that corner of your house now too. The sunroom, is it? Much brighter.

    Reply

  42. Mel says

    I’m not an arborist or a forester, and I don’t know how much research you conducted, or who you consulted with before you did this, but my uncle is a forester and has advised us to never trim our own trees w/out first consulting an arborist or forester, especially our large oak tree, because if you trim it the wrong way or cut the wrong branches it can become a safety hazard. That is, going rogue and trimming your own tree could impair the integrity of the entire tree such that it could topple. All this to say, I suggest contacting a professional to inspect the tree, assuming you haven’t done so already. Just wouldn’t want the tree to come crashing through your lovely home! Hate to be a drag. Keep up the good work!

    Reply

  43. Melissa P. says

    The after looks so open, clean, and non-prickly… way to put Mother Nature back in her place! Just today I pulled ivy off of our house’s foundation and, I have to say, the sweet, sweet power felt fantastic! Our next step on the outdoor checklist is cutting down the 25ft tall holly “bush.” It’s crazy how the previous owners just let things get so over grown. But I loves me some prunin’, sawin’, and a choppin’…

    Reply

  45. wendy says

    OMG we had a vine/vines like that in the wooded area just behind our house. Same kind as yours, nice wide and hairy stems. Ours went way higher (from what I can tell) and was/were dispersed throughout several treetops – threatening to kill several very large trees. We severed them at the bottom. We pulled what we could down from the ground, and then we sent the kids out to swing from the vines like Tarzan until they all eventually gave way. Those things mean biznuss, so if you are going after them, you need to mean biznuss too. We leave near you guys – in Midlothian – so I’m sure it was the same species. Creatures from (Tree) horror dreams, for sure.

    Reply

  46. MC@thousandstorykitchen says

    I know this is off topic, but I’m sitting at the dentist and picked up better homes&g. Mag, April issue. There’s an article featuring a patio that looks a lot like yours (p82). They have some great furniture and ideas for decorating if y’all are still pondering. Just reminded me of YHL immediately. And yay for that tree! The difference is amazing!

    Reply

  47. Nadia says

    That looks like winter creeper, Euonymus fortunei. It is a noxious invasive that will take over and kill everything in it’s path, including girdling mature trees. I am trying to get it out of my mom’s yard but if you leave a bit in the soil it will regrow from just a stem left in the ground. It sends it’s little tendrils out into the lawn, too. It is so annoying.

    Your hard work looks great, the improved view from the deck is lovely.

    Reply

  48. Vanessa says

    Wowza! This was a super satisfying post to read – I keep looking at those before and after shots! SUCH a difference. Like a nice big breath of fresh air. Must feel even better in person! I even love the pic from last year of John cutting the chunk from the base out. I dunno, something about this is just so satisfying, haha. Like an old house exterior covered in gross peely paint, then getting rid of the peely paint and making it smooth and fresh and clean. I’m weird lol.

    Reply

  49. Heather says

    We have a purple-leaved plum tree. It is supposed to be only ornamental, but somehow the graft bearing fruit took over and it gives us these sweet, delicious plums. It hangs halfway over into the neighbor’s yard, but they have decided that as long as they get the plums on their side, they don’t mind it living there. The only problem is, we now have *FIVE* new trees growing out around the original, and they bear GREEN leaves! And no plums! Which is weird yet expected because they aren’t 5 year old new trees yet, but the green leaves are supposed to be the fruit bearing ones and the red leaves are supposed to be ornamental. Or so the nursery says.

    Rambling. Coffee. Sorry. Anyway, we need to cut out the 4 new trunks that are surrounding the one that bears fruit, and the 5th one that is right up next to the fence. We meant to do it last year and then everything became higher priority. But it will need to happen soon.

    We also have an apple tree that is encroaching on my compost bin and can’t get any sunlight because of said plum tree, and another apple tree that was planted way too close to the cement patio so that it already seems to be causing issues with the cement and will need to come out. I have posted on Freecycle and Craigslist that people can have the tree for free if they dig it out, but we haven’t had any takers and if no one wants it for free, we are going to just chop them down and have the stump removed. Or, you know, just use the stump by the patio to hold a pot or something.

    Reply

  50. Andrea Sims says

    This is not vine or oak related but I wanted to send you guys a thank you! We have been renters for 4 years and we are going to be renters for at least 3 or 5 more. My hubby is just finishing 3 degrees straight and now has a job for the next 3 years. After that we plan to look out of state and go somewhere green. Anyway,
    You guys come in because we are moving to a larger home now that we expect to add to our family of four. The landlords are big YHL fans and know I too love to DIY so they said “if you want to paint the fireplace YHL style in the first house and the kitchen cabinets-go for it!!” Sigh….my dream come true. My DIY home design loving self has been wrestling with being a renter but now I get to design and do what I want because you guys do your thing!! Thanks!!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      No way! My mind has been blown! It’s amazing that they read our blog and I’m so glad you get to make your place a home. Sounds win-win to me (you’re doing the work for them) :)

      xo
      s

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