Hi, I have the same problem with poison ivy. It takes constant vigilance. Any where a bird can sit (and poop) you will get poison ivy plants underneath - they are constantly renewing all season. Since birds eat oriental bittersweet as well, the same seed spreading probably happens. I pull all other weeds by hand, or use a hoe, but I will use Roundup on poison ivy. Fewer seeds can germinate the more MULCH I have, so I try to keep that thick as well.

Keilmarie I know of several people here in our area of the state that also use honeysuckle and others in their basketweaving as a means of keeping at least a bit of it in check. I have always thought it would be neat to learn how to make textiles and baskets and so on from such natural sources, but I do good to sew a button on in a relatively neat manner. One year though, I did make bracelets and necklaces out of hemp dogbane as stocking stuffers. I use a "tailor's twist" to make them and it is absolutely amazing, how tough and resilient they are. In the fall when we are finishing up the farming, I gather bunches of the drying stalks and peel the outer fibers off while I am waiting for my husband to load the grain truck. Then if I get into a long line at the elevator I simply grab a handful of these fibers and whip up a bracelet or a necklace if I have time. I have a small one on my left wrist from over 5 months ago that is not in the least bit frazzled, and it stays on 24 hrs a day. Course, my mother, who is tirelessly hoping that her tomboy daughter will someday learn to refine her ways, is constantly admonishing me to "get the weeds off my arm"... I did read a bit about bittersweet from several other sources and they too mentioned the fact that the vine has the ability to girdle trees with its tightly clinging branches, not to mention that when mature, a good sized vine has enough weight to eventually weaken and bring down parts of the canopy of the tree it's in. I already have grape vines the size of my arm growing here, and in some of the young trees you can really tell they become a burden. I have to think that they are a natural part of the forest, but that since so few of today's woods are made of large mature trees they have a more detrimental effect. And maybe they get more sunlight in which to thrive since many forestlands are fragmented? More theories from one doesn't really know the answers...:)_

Oftentimes, if seed has set, it will mature. You probably should try to remove as much as possible.

Hopefully the vines were sold sexed. If not, you will need to wait until flowering to determine male and female plants. male and female bittersweet flowers