Bindweed

[archiecolliedogParticipant]

Hi, I planted a raspberry bed (autumn fruiting) on my allotment two years ago and mulched around the canes with woodchips. This year there is LOADS of bindweed coming up and strangling the young canes. Help! I’m being urged to use roundup as no-one can tell me how else to sort the problem. Even if I did dig everything out, presumably that would just spread the bindweed as it’s impossible to get all the root out cleanly? Of course, bindweed is also appearing elsewhere on the plot and my more experienced neighbour told me not to hoe as that would spread it further too. I don’t understand his logic and again, don’t know what else to do. Where possible, I’m growing through mypex (e.g. my squashes) but can’t retrospectively grow everything through it. Just to add: the plot was created from pastureland and the bindweed is the creeping sort that has pink flowers, not the larger-leaved variety with white, trumpet flowers.

[charlesModerator]

It is fine to hoe bindweed except in wet weather when the hoed pieces might root again before they dry out. Of course removing with a trowel, to weaken parent roots, is the best option (because of removing more root) but takes longer.
If its enough to strangle the canes, you have a problem! I know no answer except repeated pulling, or plant a new raspberry bed in cleaner soil, if you have any.

[LeifParticipant]

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.

[archiecolliedogParticipant]

Thank you. No magic solution (as if!); glad I understand the hoeing argument now (I don’t think my neighbour realises I always pick the hoe-ings up). What a great resource this is 🙂

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