Vengeance on a Vine

Q: Can you identify this vine and tell me how to brutally and vengefully destroy it? It’s currently winning in my back yard.

A: You have catchweed bedstraw. It’s an annual weed that comes up from seed each year. The seed can remain dormant in the soil for several years, so that’s why it never disappears. If you pull it conscientiously every year it will eventually go away. This plant is considered medicinal by some, so research its effects and decide whether you want to use it. Or use a landscape pre-emergent applied in early winter, before the seeds germinate. If it is away from your “good” plants, you could give it a short squirt of glyphosate.