Bindweed problems

Bindweed once established can go down a matter of feet with its roots, I don't think digging it out is an option, controlling it is about as good as you can get IMO.

 

You kinda have to admire its staying power. And if it were rare and difficult to grow, we'd all be swooning over the flowers (which have a certain loveliness to them) and yearning to get our hands on a cutting.

 

I agree with @pete, we've been here for 17 years and have never managed to eradicate bindweed despite years of trying.

 

I abandoned my garden for many years due to unpleasant neighbours, and it became one solid mass of bramble, sprawling buddleia and bindweed. I only started trying to recover it about 3 years ago when the neighbours moved out. It was more like archaeology than gardening, and I didn't use any chemicals (still don't).

But already the bindweed isn't really much of an problem. I pull up bits when I see them, and rescue any plant that's being swamped. If I'm digging a hole to plant something, I remove all the bindweed root I see. That's quite satisfying, because they're thick and white and easy to identify.

I find the docks much more of an issue. And I've never seen so much plantain as this year, but at least it's easy to pull up.

I'm getting some volunteer plants appearing that are welcome. Lots of aquilegia and self-heal.

I think if you're the sort of person that wants to always see clean, empty, weed-free space in between the official "plants", then gardening is not going to be a relaxing hobby for you.

 

I certainly haven’t totally eradicated it, but I only have the occasional one pop up now and again

 

Without the cooperation of your neighbour, i don't think you've got any chance at all getting rid of it. I think it'll take both parties working together to have a chance.

I have bindweed in two hedges i share with two different neighbours. To one side, that neighbour doesn't care and isn't interested, and i pull as much of it out the hedge at my side as i possibly can two / three times a year or so. The neighbour to my opposite side does care, and we are working together to get rid, and it's working, but it's taken a couple of seasons so far, maybe next year........ or the year after and on!?

Interestingly, though, i get on very well with the neighbour that doesn't care, but i'm often found exchanging rocks over the hedge with the neighbour that does care. We don't get on very well at all!!

 

Soul destroying, indeed. Thanks, @Goldenlily26.

 

This put me in mind of 'Man About the House' for some reason.

 

Bindweed is a attractive plant, with a lovely flower but in the right place, like running through a hedge or a old fence, but not in a garden where it dominates, it roots run deep and are fragile. I seem to hold the national collection! I tried to dig some roots out today, but they trail everywhere, around and under my Philadelphius and apple tree. It seems a losing battle. I try and pull it up before it flowers, so it doesn’t self seed. It grows so quickly and sure it can grow a foot a day.

 

Weed killer that kills roots is what you want.

 

I find the bindweed is worst in and around my gooseberry bushes. Such a pain to try and remove, without harming the small berries, starting to appear.

Now, if I ever tried to cultivate bindweed for some strange reason, I'd probably kill it!
Hmmmm!!

 

Take a couple of jam jars and some real glyphosate concentrate mixed in a pouring jug at 40ml/per litre (just halve or quarter quantity if too much).......
Half bury jars in soil near bushes. Using a smooth stick or artist's paintbrush, untwine as many of bindweed stems as possible. Stuff all bindweed into jars and top up with weedkiller. Leave it alone for at least two weeks so the roots take it right down and die. Excellent method for tackling tricky weeds tangled up with desirable plants.

 

More than one of us has suggested the above method. It works.

 

I've got a customer who has bindweed growing in half of the beds in their front garden. I was thinking of doing the above or turfing over the beds once the plants are removed and then it's kept down with the lawn mower. I do wonder if it would move over to the rest of the beds though that currently are not affected.

The customers mother in law had different ideas and said she'd pull them up as and when (which she hadn't actually done yet)

 

My sister had a bindweed problem coming into her garden from next door and the most effective thing she found was dipping the ends of the stems in liquid weedkiller. Tedious but effective. I think I would resort to spraying with glyphosate, which is what I have to do with brambles coming over the banks around my garden, from the surrounding fields. They are like an army, marching across my plot, rooting wherever they touch the ground. Real ankle breakers.