How to get vines?

[waldiddy]

This year, I want vines ... lotsa vines. Anyone know how I can go about doing that? I suppose I could make them, out of rope perhaps, but I will need a lot. I'm also going to use lots of shredded burlap for Spanish moss.

Are there any suggestions out there for mass producing my own vines or perhaps a local source for real, dead ones?

[Frighteners Entertainment]

good luck....been searching myself for a couple of years.
Most of what I could find is sourcing to china....that;s a big tub to fill.

[Bascombe]

I have gotten vines from the river bottoms on the Snake River before. If you have any primitive areas along some riverfront, or some marshy swampy areas, there are usually vines there.

[Evil Andrew]

Hops ! I grow hops in my back yard for brewing beer. The vines grow super fast - 1/2 foot per day, 25 feet long. Cut 'em green, wrap them on your prop and let them dry.

If you dont want to grow them yourself, look for a commercial grower / craft brewery in your town.

I'll be wrapping some around the base of my Pumpkinrot scarecrow this fall.

[nixie]

Grapevine (and other vines) can become downright problematic when allowed to grow out of control. Many people have invasive vine issues and would love to have someone come and cut down the vines that are attacking their trees and structures. The challenge may be finding people to offer this service to. Maybe post on craigslist that you're willing to remove overgrown vines for free, hang signs around on bulletin boards or garage sale style, ask around and get some word of mouth going among family and friends, or just start scouting for places that look overgrown with vines. I use grapevine to build arbor structures and find a lot of it this way. I also grow grapes myself, so I always have a good crop of vines growing.

You can also buy large coils of grapevine at Michaels and Hobby Lobby, but if you need a lot it would get pretty pricey.

I never knew hops vines grew so fast- that's amazing!! I wonder if they grow in zone 5??

[Rahnefan]

Come to Georgia and clear my trees of ivy; you can have as much as you want!!! :)

[The Bloodshed Brothers]

you could ake them out of great stuff foam.

take a 2x4 put a nail in each side. tie fishing line to each nail. and spray the foam letting it wrap around the line then cut off the piece of round-ish foam you have a paint it green...

we did the exact same thing but painted them red for intestines. I've seen people use then for tentacles as well.
Given a day or 2 of hanging they start to curl up a little too giving it a more realistic look.

heres the link to the how to i used..
http://www.garageofterror.com/2006tentacle.html

[bobzilla]

http://www.hauntforum.com/showthread.php?t=20515

[susan from creepy hollow]

we have mad Kudzu here, you're welcome to all you'd like!

seriously, look around for kudzu patches!

[waldiddy]

Hmm .. kudzu, eh? Interesting. I never even thought of that. If I have this stuff draped all over my back porch, think my yard's in danger of getting infected?

[DeathTouch]

I have bought from grapegirl before. She sells her own grapes and normally has lots of vines left. Not sure if she still does. Have not talked to her in a while.

[RoxyBlue]

Hmm .. kudzu, eh? Interesting. I never even thought of that. If I have this stuff draped all over my back porch, think my yard's in danger of getting infected?

Just don't let it root:)

[FirstSpartan]

Perhaps wild grape vine grows in your area? The vines can range from 1/2" to 4" in diameter and over 20' in length. It's easy to pull down and cut up and if you soak them with a hose overnight they will become easily bendable the next day and will hold their shape after drying. You can get some pretty tight curves and nice shapes with grape vines by doing this. I keep an eye out along roads and can usually cut down a large stack of vines in about 15 minutes.

from a previous post:
I see wild grape vines on a daily basis because I spend a lot of time in the woods for work but I see them most at the edges of old growth tree lines especially along the sides of the roads. You can spot the easily enough from the way they grow in the trees and bushes. They tend to creep up existing bushes and trees then cascade their leaves down toward the ground and their leaf shape is very distinct (the shape reminds me of that evil mogwai from the movie Gremlins...lol) and usually a different color than the surrounding tree. What you rarely see are the grapes. The animals eat them pretty quick I guess. A good rule of thumb is the higher the leaves start, the thicker the vines at the bottom. I usually grab the vine and pull them down from the tree and hack them up to stick in my car. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you

here's some google pics of what wild grape vines look like. Looking for the big leaves and a slightly different shade of green than the surrounding leaves are how I spot them.

grape vine leaves (http://www.t-one.net/~om/QualityDay/wildgrape01.jpg)

grapevines invading trees/shrubs (http://image02.webshots.com/2/1/27/55/48412755PCRuiq_fs.jpg)

gl and I hope you have some in your area, it's a great, cheap prop part.

[Aquayne]

I live in rural WV. Here wild grape vines are everywhere. Most people think that to make a grapvine wreath you must harvest them in winter when they are brown. The reality is you pull them down in summer when they are green and easily pliable. You pull them down, coil them in whatever configuration you desire then let it dry. It will maintain the shape when cured in a few weeks. Pull the leaves off when they are brittle and easy to pull off.

[susan from creepy hollow]

cut it before it flowers, or after the flowers have faded completely, leaving no seeds in them.
that way you won't have to worry about seedlings. i don't think it will just take up in your yard if it's cut and not 'planted' into the ground.