Q: In two weeks, we are going to try and clear out the dormant kudzu vines that are on the outside perimeter of our subdivision, along a very small drainage ditch. After we pull out the vines, can we treat the ground and put down a layer of mulch? Will that control new growth? Would Finale(tm) or Roundup(tm) work at all?

A: Kudzu control is not impossible, it only takes persistence. Because the vine grows such a large root, it can re-sprout several times after the top is removed. Your first chore is to chop or mow down every bit of the vine you can reach. In this way you can identify the places where the vine has roots once the leaves all begin to emerge this spring.

If there are only a few rooted spots, you could note on your calendar to visit the site every two weeks from now until fall and cut off the leaves that appear. The root will gradually starve and the pestiferous vine will be eliminated.

If there are many, many rooted spots, chemical intervention is helpful. Glyphosate (Roundup, KleerAway, SureFire, etc.) would be my preferred herbicide because it is translocated from the leaves to the roots once it