In a bind with this invasive weed
QDo you have a solution to get rid of bindweed from my garden? I usually pull out these weeds as they appear in the soil.
Joan Herbert, Cardiff
AThe simplest method of dealing with bindweed is the one you are already using – simply pulling off the stems. They will often snap off at ground level giving you only temporary respite, but removing the top growth, if done as soon as leaves are seen, will eventually weaken the roots.
The leaves feed the roots and if there are no leaves then the plant will have to use its food reserves, stored in the roots, to grow. Once the food reserves are used up, as long as they can’t be replenished the plant will eventually die.
If the bindweed is appearing in bare soil then regularly hoeing it off will have the same effect.
However, the quickest and most effective method is to spray it with a chemical herbicide.
The best one to use is Roundup, which has the active ingredient glyphosate and is systemic in that it is carried from the leaves to the roots, therefore killing the whole plant.
However, it is non-selective, which means that it will kill any plant that it comes into contact with, and is therefore not suitable for use where the bindweed is growing in among other plants.
It is possible to use it by painting it onto the leaves so that other plants don’t come into contact with it, but this is time consuming, especially over a large area.
I have taken to using the new Roundup Gel, which is just dabbed on to the leaves and left to do its stuff.
It is still time consuming, but less risky to other plants than applying a liquid paint – and it works.
I’ve found it works on tough weeds like brambles, as well as bindweed. You might need more than one application, but this is a good time of year to have a go at doing this as the bindweed is still actively growing. The chemical will therefore be transported through the plant more quickly, and can act and kill it off more quickly.