Will morning glory destroy my entire garden? Help!

[Zeidant2]

Hi all! First time post, first time garden owner. I recently moved in to my dream home that had a gorgeous well mapped out garden. I am BRAND new to this, but the garden was really what sold me, it is such a zen space. I had a gardener come out when I moved in to give me advice on how to care for garden, and I saw what I assumed was the start of “weeds” around my clematis. I asked if this was a weed and she said eh, not really it’s morning glory. It’ll be fine to keep, but if you want to smother it with new mulch you can do that.

I did add new mulch, and watched to see what would happen and I am realizing it really is invading my clematis. I am so heartbroken about it. I pulled every last bit down of morning glory I can find. I have two clematis, one growing in each side of an arch. The left side is still beautiful and full, but that did not have any morning glory on it; meanwhile the right side lost its bloom. After removing the morning glory today, i still have left behind what I think is going to be new bloom? Beautiful green leaves, but I am so inexperienced I just want to do whatever it takes to save this.

Should I frantically kiss my beautiful clematis arch goodbye forever? What can I do to salvage it, even for the next summer?

Pictures attached. It shows the opposite side arches one that had the morning glory and one that didn’t.

 

[Zeidant2]

these photos are of the garden about 1.5 months ago

 

[cpp gardener]

Is the second picture before or after the morning glory removal?

 

[Zeidant2]

It’s before!
These photos are after, which I took this morning and honestly it looks like they bloomed over night in some areas.

 

[oneeye]

To get rid of them all you need to do is find where the main stem is and snip it. Just leave the vines alone so it doesn't hurt the other plants. After they die you can remove them. I personally think they are very pretty when in bloom. They can be invasive and a problem by smothering out roses and other ornamental plants. Since they are annuals and will be gone with the first freeze. If you get them early before they go to seed you will get rid of them for good.

 

[Zeidant2]

Okay thanks for elaborating. I was definitely untangling them from the top back down to the root, I guess I realize if I snip them from the root first it will eventually wilt and I can remove. I was in panic mode

The flowers are pretty but there are just too much green leaves. And I don’t want them to smother my beautiful clematis

So snipping them all should continue to restore my clematis it was trying to overcome?

 

[Oliver Buckle]

Gardening is always a continuous process, jobs are rarely 'done for good'. There will probably be the odd seed comes back for ages, but you should be able to take control.
I notice verbena bonariensis in the background of one picture, that is lovely, but seeds everywhere in my garden, and is that an ash tree seedling at the bottom of one of the pillars? They pop up everywhere if it is, with a tap root that is tough to pull.
Welcome to the world of gardening, always something to do.

 

[oneeye]

Okay thanks for elaborating. I was definitely untangling them from the top back down to the root, I guess I realize if I snip them from the root first it will eventually wilt and I can remove. I was in panic mode

The flowers are pretty but there are just too much green leaves. And I don’t want them to smother my beautiful clematis

So snipping them all should continue to restore my clematis it was trying to overcome?

Correct.

 

[Zeidant2]

Gardening is always a continuous process, jobs are rarely 'done for good'. There will probably be the odd seed comes back for ages, but you should be able to take control.
I notice verbena bonariensis in the background of one picture, that is lovely, but seeds everywhere in my garden, and is that an ash tree seedling at the bottom of one of the pillars? They pop up everywhere if it is, with a tap root that is tough to pull.
Welcome to the world of gardening, always something to do.

I do love thé verbena bonariensis.
I don’t know what ash tree is, but if it’s a weed type how could I get rid of it?

How do you get rid of weeds in a garden? I have a tarp down with mulch over; yet grows on top of that!

 

[Esther Knapicius]

it depends on your zone. I plant morning glory seeds, so does a few neighbors in my area, if we do not plant them in early spring they will not come back from last year as the cold weather will kill them off, I am in zone 6. So I think zone 6,, 5, 4 etc would be safe. zone 7 is questionable, but that zone could slow them down. zone 8 I would not trust.

 

[Zeidant2]

That’s interesting to hear. I am so very new to this but I thiught morning glory was a weed type, no?

 

[Esther Knapicius]

That’s interesting to hear. I am so very new to this but I thiught morning glory was a weed type, no?

No, not really, as I have stated above depends on your zone. Right now I have a long planter planted with the seeds on my deck and twine to help them climb. Did the same last year. I actually was hoping I'd find some babies in the dirt on the ground at the bottom of my deck, but no way. Mine are just now blooming, so upset, so late.
So in general in colder areas, the freeze will kill them.

So lets get back to your visiual idea about your climbing Clementis ---from what I am gathering you would like when the clementis is done blooming to have something blooming there also, if that is correct, my suggestion is find another clementis that blooms later/ or earlier than what you have already. And plant it at the base of what you have now, both can weave together without issues. There are so many types out there.

 

[Zeidant2]

No, not really, as I have stated above depends on your zone. Right now I have a long planter planted with the seeds on my deck and twine to help them climb. Did the same last year. I actually was hoping I'd find some babies in the dirt on the ground at the bottom of my deck, but no way. Mine are just now blooming, so upset, so late.
So in general in colder areas, the freeze will kill them.

So lets get back to your visiual idea about your climbing Clementis ---from what I am gathering you would like when the clementis is done blooming to have something blooming there also, if that is correct, my suggestion is find another clementis that blooms later/ or earlier than what you have already. And plant it at the base of what you have now, both can weave together without issues. There are so many types out there.

Great information! Thanks so much. I will plant another clematis, that is a great idea.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

How do you get rid of weeds in a garden? I have a tarp down with mulch over; yet grows on top of that!

I use a draw hoe. Going over a piece of ground creates a tilth, a layer of loose earth, weeds are chopped up into the tilth and compost down, other compost can be added to the tilth. Once it is established hoeing is a very quick process and, done regularly, catches weeds very young and they are stressed having to grow through the tilth. The tilth also acts a bit like a mulch by slowing evaporation from sunlight, but allows rainfall to pass straight through, it also helps maintain a constant temperature in the ground.
Looks clean and tidy too.

 

[Zeidant2]

Awesome! Thanks for this!! How often do you do this-what is “regularly”