How to kill Virginia Creeper

lollipop19

Hi there

I purchased an old country cottage. At the base of a shed wall there is a mixture of virginia creeper, briars and a beautiful old type rambling/climbing rose. Almost 2 years ago when the initial work was being done, i had all the vegetation at the end of the wall pulled away by a track machine!. At this stage the virgina creeper and the rose combined had almost succeeded in covering the wall and the shed roof (the property was neglected for a few years previous). There was no work done on the plants last year as the house renovation was the priority. The shed roof has more or less fallen in at this stage (thanks to the weight of the creeper) and is has to be replaced. What i want to know is, is it possible to kill the virginia creeper and the briars but not the beautiful rose. when the roses come into bloom they are the most beautiful carpet of flowers and colour and i have no wish to get rid of them. They are all intertwined at this stage. i've been pulling the creeper as it grows up the wall but is there a better way?
Thanks

looksee

I don't follow the bit about the growth being pulled away by a track machine? Is this new growth you are talking about? Where are the plants at the moment, on the wall or pulled away?

I would think the easiest way would be to identify as much new growth as possible on the brambles and VC and carefully paint it with a systemic weedkiller, you might have to pull the growth to one side and tie it with some plastic round to stop it spreading the weedkiller onto the rose. When it is dead (couple of weeks) cut back the stems. They may sprout again - the brambles almost certainly will - next year so you will have to repeat the treatment. After that it is just a matter of picking out the dead bits.

recedite

Cut the creeper and brambles at ground level now, but not the rose. Then when new growth appears at ground level, spray or paint on glyphosphate.
The rose leaves will be up much higher, safe from the spray.