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Posted: 7/26/2014 4:09:24 AM EDT
[#1]
Kudzu is a government caused problem. The Government actually paid people to plant it.
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Posted: 7/26/2014 4:15:25 AM EDT
[#2]
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We've had it on our property in eastern KY since 1980. The property is unattended, 200 acres of hardwoods. It hasn't killed any trees. It does cover areas but seems to stay in one spot that it likes and hasn't spread to the rest of the land. Quote HistoryQuoted:
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So it is like evil Morning Glory? Morning Glory is bad enough as is. No comparison. Kudzu will take over entire towns and forests before it is over with. It will completely cover and kill mature hardwood trees in a few years. Will cover abandoned cars and houses if not kept under control. We've had it on our property in eastern KY since 1980. The property is unattended, 200 acres of hardwoods. It hasn't killed any trees. It does cover areas but seems to stay in one spot that it likes and hasn't spread to the rest of the land. You are lucky then. Maybe KY is near the northern edge of its range? I have watched it engulf multiple acres and cover even the tallest trees. Once the trees are covered it doesn't take long for them to die. Then eventually the weight of the Kudzu will break the limbs and finally pull the tree down. It does take several years to do that but at least in some of the areas I have lived, it is a huge problem. Lots of pics on the internet if you haven't seen it do that. |
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Posted: 7/26/2014 5:48:03 AM EDT
[#3]
much treehuggery in this thread I  GW
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Posted: 7/26/2014 6:33:32 AM EDT
[#4]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
You are lucky then. Maybe KY is near the northern edge of its range? I have watched it engulf multiple acres and cover even the tallest trees. Once the trees are covered it doesn't take long for them to die. Then eventually the weight of the Kudzu will break the limbs and finally pull the tree down. It does take several years to do that but at least in some of the areas I have lived, it is a huge problem. Lots of pics on the internet if you haven't seen it do that. Quote HistoryQuoted:
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So it is like evil Morning Glory? Morning Glory is bad enough as is. No comparison. Kudzu will take over entire towns and forests before it is over with. It will completely cover and kill mature hardwood trees in a few years. Will cover abandoned cars and houses if not kept under control. We've had it on our property in eastern KY since 1980. The property is unattended, 200 acres of hardwoods. It hasn't killed any trees. It does cover areas but seems to stay in one spot that it likes and hasn't spread to the rest of the land. You are lucky then. Maybe KY is near the northern edge of its range? I have watched it engulf multiple acres and cover even the tallest trees. Once the trees are covered it doesn't take long for them to die. Then eventually the weight of the Kudzu will break the limbs and finally pull the tree down. It does take several years to do that but at least in some of the areas I have lived, it is a huge problem. Lots of pics on the internet if you haven't seen it do that. I was actually incorrect in the date. That's just the earliest I remember it really taking over the hillside. My great grandpa planted it many years ago, in hopes he could feed cattle on it. That didn't work out. 
I'll post pics when I get back to the shop, monday. I always thought it was pretty cool. At one point it had grown over the "road" that runs through the property. It formed a solid tunnel for about 50 yards. It did cover an entire holler, up to the tallest trees. I can't say that I climbed the hill and inspected every tree. I'm sure it would choke out smaller trees and prevent saplings from thriving. But those big beech, hickory, oak, black walnut and poplar were still standing when we had it selectively logged a few years back. |
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Posted: 7/26/2014 6:36:16 AM EDT
[#5]
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The only vines I want in my yard also grow a foot a day....... But they're called hops  . Mine are young, so they only grow a few inches a day at the moment.
Ok, so its technically a bine, but close enough. My nugget and cascade are flowering right now. 
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Posted: 7/26/2014 6:38:21 AM EDT
[#6]
I didn't know that stuff wasn't native.
And doesn't frost kill it off? |
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Posted: 7/26/2014 6:39:25 AM EDT
[#7]
I don't see as much of the stuff today as what I remember from 20-30 years ago.
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Posted: 7/26/2014 6:40:02 AM EDT
[#8]
Quote HistoryFriend of mine was a crew member on that car . Jim Downing and the Kudzu . |
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Posted: 7/26/2014 9:19:29 AM EDT
[#9]
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I didn't know that stuff wasn't native. And doesn't frost kill it off? Nope, not native at all. And it doesn't get cold enough/long enough down here for the vines to die off. |
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Posted: 7/26/2014 9:26:48 AM EDT
[#10]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
There is not nearly as much kudzu in GA as there use to be. Maybe it is just migrating. Agreed. I don't notice it like I use to, or maybe I am not paying attention. |
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Posted: 7/26/2014 9:32:26 AM EDT
[#11]
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Posted: 7/26/2014 9:32:40 AM EDT
[#12]
Screen shot from Google Earth. This is part of the town I grew up in. You can see where the Kudzu has spread out over the years and almost completely killed off the trees.
It has take quite a few years for it to get that bad. It was brought in a long time ago and then got spread around by people hauling fill dirt from other spots. Most of those areas were very small 20 years ago. 
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Posted: 7/26/2014 9:37:14 AM EDT
[#13]
Can you smoke vine? <Booger> "BUSH! We've got BUSH!"
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Posted: 7/26/2014 9:37:24 AM EDT
[#14]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
There's been tons of kudzu in Kentucky for as long as I can remember and I'm 37. Is the climate in Illinois and Ohio really THAT different? Sure, they probably average a bit colder temps in the winter and have more colder days, but not enough to be considered that significant. Besides, kudzu goes dormant and turns brown in the winter. Then it comes back with a vengeance when warm weather returns. It isn't like it as a "green all year" form of vegetation. It has survived winters in my area where the mercury has dropped to minus 20. So it doesn't surprise me that it can survive farther north. I don't think it has anything to do with global warming. Shit just eventually has a way of spreading. Stuff that wasn't around 10 years ago may be here today. Now, when cotton starts springing up in IL, IN, OH, MI and Ontario, I might listen to you when it comes to global warming.  Kudzu has been in parts of IL for years. I think as you get into central IL and further north the vast amount of farm acreage probably keeps it at bay. |
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Posted: 7/31/2014 12:55:56 PM EDT
[#15]
Nom Nom nom
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