Bind weed

[Rac man]

Any idea how to stop it in garden

[sime42]

Digging! Lots and lots of it.

[peds]

It's a right old cnut, that's for sure. Pull it up, keep pulling it up, and carry on doing that for a few years. Dig out the roots if it's in loose soil, make sure you don't chop off any bits and forget about them though!

Permanent sheet mulching doesn't really work, it'll just tunnel tunnel tunnel, but what works great is removable sheets to allow the roots to go where they want, then peel back the mypex or plastic or whatever and rip it all out, until it's exhausted. Takes a long time.

 

Easiest way to control it is convert the area into a lawn and mow mow mow for a couple of years, bindweed doesn't really enjoy a lawnmower, and you can just pull it up and de-root the edges, if needed.

 

Spraying does not work, I guess it could after several applications over several years, but it isn't a hard-and-fast solution, and never will be. Organic techniques are more effective and better for your soul.

 

Is this in your own garden, or for a customer? Customers need to be made aware that it is a long, hard slog that needs repeat visits several times a year, regardless of the techniques used.

[sime42]

I dunno, it's a pernicious weed for sure, in the premier league of such things, but there's worse. At least the roots are fairly shallow and easily spotted, being bright white and nice and fat. Similar for Couch Grass. Mare's Tail, Knotweed or Bamboo are much more troublesome wrt to digging the roots out. (Mare's Tail goes down meters, and breaks off when you so much as look at it. Speaking from experience).

 

I reckon that if you've got a blank canvass, ie. no established plants to work around, then digging Bindweed out is doable. If you're prepared to be meticulous in grabbing up every last little bit of root. And revisiting the subsequent year or two. Again, speaking from experience in my own garden.

 

 

 

 

[Stere]

Grow spuds or other annual crops for a few yrs

 

 

[spudulike]

Believe me, the only way, teeze out each bit and glyphosate each bit. Nothing else works.

Done it a few times, time consuming but it works.

[peds]

If you are already teasing out each bit... you can just remove it instead. 

[Gavint]

Bindweed is a toughie.  Like other perennial weeds with extensive underground root networks like thistles and goutweed, you will only compound the problem by digging.  The only practical solution is a systemic herbicide.  Glyphosate is the usual go to as it's the safest, but it will require multiple applications to defeat it.  

[spudulike]

On 13/08/2024 at 20:35, peds said:

If you are already teasing out each bit... you can just remove it instead. 

Unfortunately, you often break the roots so a good splodge of a systemic weedkiller is better than trying to get the roots up unsuccessfully...in my humble opinion, others may have other opinions!

[nepia]

Best solution depends on level of infestation.

We have a moderate amount in the garden which received little attention for the couple of years before we bought the place.  If you have the patience digging out the roots can work: yes, you often leave small pieces that grow so go back and do it again.  It's working for us; we're definitely getting on top of the stuff.

In places it's simply impossible to access the roots so we remove as much as we can, let some top growth reoccur and repeat.

It doesn't take forever to defeat bindweed; if you stick at it you can exhaust the roots.

We haven't used any chemicals other than against the house where we needed to kill the stuff asap so membrane and shingle could be laid on top