Seeking advice on controlling oriental bittersweet

[Kristen Whitbeck]

A student in my silviculture class is seeking relayed the scenario below. If anyone has any tips or tricks I will gladly pass them along. Thanks in advance!

"Oriental bittersweet is choking out my mature white pine trees and my mature apple trees. It's a nightmare with some of the vines reaching 40+ feet in my mature trees. I seem to have no choice other than cutting the vines and pulling them out of the trees, which damages branches and new growth, unfortunately, so if anyone has any other suggestions on vine removal, I'm all ears."

[Gary Gilmore]

Just cut the vine and leave it in the tree.  The leaves fall off no longer shade the leaves of the tree.  Over several years, the vine will decompose and fall out.  Do not pull the vine out of the tree, just cut it.

Gary Gilmore forester in PA

[Lew Ward]

Off the cuff response is cut the vines and leave them in the trees, they will rapidly breakdown (2-3 years.) I would either pull/grub the roots of the vines out. There are mechanical devices that provide leverage. Or a tractor/4 wheeler device using a chain and clamp that grab the stems. The other option is to use a Glyphosate treatment with a brush or drip on the freshly cut root collar or stem.