Bindweed is the bane of all gardeners across Ireland. If it gets into your patch and establishes itself it's a nightmare to get rid of. It will keep growing and spreading until it chokes and steals the light and life out of all other plants. Here I will go into exactly what it is and what steps we can take to control and get rid of it.
Firstly what we recognise as Bindweed here is actually one of two distinct plants. Hedge Bindweed (Calystegia sepium) and Field Bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis). There are other types but these are the most prevalent ones across the country.
Hedge Bindweed can be recognised by its trailing tendrils and its trumpet shaped blooms that are usually white but can have a pinkish tinge with white stripes.Its leaves are oval but come to a point. It often, as the name suggests, can be found growing through hedging and along roadsides. It generally grows between 2-3 metres high and spreads from all sides wherever it can grab hold of something.
Field Bindweed has smaller pink or white flowers, its leaves are also smaller and lack the pointed tip. This one is the usual culprit in most gardens. They spread in a similar fashion, creeping along and winding around anything they can get purchase on.
Anyone who has come across it in their garden will no doubt appreciate the challenge it can pose. As soon as you think you have finally gotten rid of it it will poke its head up again for another round. There are a number of methods to control it and below I will go through a few of them.
Digging Out & Cutting Back
This method is an awful lot of work but if you are up for it it's also one of the best. Before you start, lay down a sheet of tarp or bin liners around where you're working. It's an aggressive spreader and any snippet of plant will grow again so it's critical not to drop any cutting of root or stem anywhere else in your garden. Dig out as much root as you can and cut it right back to the ground, put it in a bin bag for separate waste disposal. Finally when you are finished cover the area with the tarp to block its light and leave it there for a few weeks before removing and seeing if any new shoots crop up. If they do, repeat the process. Eventually it will completely die off.
Boiling Water
If there are no other plants you wish to keep growing alongside it you can pour boiling water on it. This will kill off the roots and make it die back. Repeat as necessary.
Weedkiller
There are a few options when it comes to weed killers and I always like to try the environmentally friendly ones first, here in store we have Hygeia Hytrol All Natural Weedkiller which breaks down naturally and won't leave any unwanted residues in your garden.
I hate recommending Glyphosate but when the job is stubborn enough sometimes it's the only thing that will work. Resova Pro Weedkiller Xtra Tough is an option as a final resort if the above methods fail to do the trick. Use it as sparingly as you can though as the insects such as the bees will not be happy about it.
If you do have a Bindweed issue and are unsure of what method to use, come in and ask one of our members of staff about it and we will be happy to point you in the right direction.
