Reply To: Bindweed

[Leif]

Glyphosate is a solution, no pun intended., and is relatively harmless in small quantities. I too have field bindweed. The problem is that roots can go down many metres, five or more if the soil allows it, and they act as reserves of energy. Removing above ground growth will kill it, but it can take years. I’ve almost removed it from my beds after four years. You should have seen the amount of roots I was digging out, one metre down in places, and it was obvious they went far deeper. Thirty cm down I was finding numerous tight coils of root. Digging out root will weaken it but not remove it. I dug to uncover an old septic tank, and remove bramble. And bindweed. Breaking up root is okay as long as you pick shoots when they surface, before the root fragment can form a healthy plant.