Please help!! Is this a weed??

Hello all

I am new to gardening and am finding my way around my flower beds with both joy yet a bit of helplessness!!

Please please can any of you tell me whether the plant wrapping itself around my plants in my flower bed is a weed. It looks like a vine of some sort but is totally out of control!!!! I pulled it all out of my flower bed 2 weeks ago and now it has gone mad again!! I can't really put weed killer down as it may harm my existing plants already there and if I pull this weed/vine up like I did recently it will simply spring back up again imminently.

Please can you give me some sound advice how to treat this problem. I have tried putting bamboo sticks into my flower bed with string to create some sort of 'wall-climbing' assistant for it - if it is a vine, it may create a good 'privacy' barrier, but it is has swamped the bamboo sticks!! please help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! thank you so much in advance for any advice offered. I hope the photos are clear and you can differentiate between the swamping weed/vine and my plants!

 

Yes its a weed!!

Try this from the RHS http://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profiles0801/bindweed.asp, it is very invasive, and it does smother your plants.

I would recommend that you spend a little while out in the garden taking out as much as you can, leaves, stems and roots, especially that from around the plants.

Hope this Helps!

 

Hi Mrsdp,

I am sorry, it is, as people here have said, the dreaded bindweed.

In addition to the very good advice already offered, I think you can buy glyphosate (Brand name roundup) in the form of a pen, but you can definitely get it with a small brush and paint it on the leaf-that way you avid killing off your lovely plants faster than the bindweed would.

 

Hello all

How strange that when I read all your posts I got very emotional!! my poor plants in their lovely home are being strangled!! sigh, I best get out there quick, thank you so much everyone. I've learnt something new now.

 

I can't believe I managed to get rid of it 2 weeks ago and my flower bed looked so tidy and lovely and now, now, it's just gone berserk, in just 2 weeks!! looks like a jungle!! ggggrrrr and we are going on holiday shortly for a length of time so am DREADING my return!!

 

one way that has (partially) worked for me is to unwind it as far as possible without breaking it and then roll it up with some kitchen roll again making sure it doesn't snap off. Put the bind weed and kitchen towel together into a plastic bag; pour in some suitably diluted glyphosate and seal the bag. This keeps the glyphosate in contact with the bindweed but prevents it getting onto anything else. I have a very small amount growing back this year which at the moment I am pulling out as it appears. If it manages to grow at all whilst my back is turned I will repeat the above!:D

 

So what is it in its natural environment in japan that keeps this weed under control?

Also OP, it looks like its coming up everywhere in next doors garden, in the last photo.