Bindweed Control: 3 Ways to Identify Bindweed

Bindweed plants (genus Convolvulus) are high-climbing perennial weeds common in Eurasia and North America. Bindweed also goes by the common name of creeping Jenny. They can twine themselves around trees, other plants, and building structures. The plants have an extensive root system, exceptional regrowth powers, and a long life cycle.

Bindweed vines are an invasive species and will require long-term maintenance if you find they have started seed production in your garden or lawn. Without proper biological control, bindweed infestations can choke out and decimate crop yields, garden plants, and entire flower beds.

There are two major types of bindweed: field bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis) and hedge bindweed (Calystegia sepium). Between the two, the control of field bindweed can be a little easier, as it isn’t as aggressive, large, or expansive as hedge bindweed. Either type is difficult to kill by pulling it up by the roots because bindweed root systems are so expansive. As a result, you must use a variety of different weed control methods.

Here are three ways you can spot bindweed—a flowering, invasive vining plant—before it starts wreaking too much havoc on your yard:

1. 1. Look out for flowers. Bindweed plants are perennial vining members of the morning glory family (Convolvulaceae) that sprout pinkish-white small flowers when new shoots start breaking out over ground level. Bindweed flowers can be pretty, but the plants can overwhelm your garden, choking out the growth of other flowers and plants.
2. 2. Inspect for arrow-shaped leaves. Other morning glory plants also sprout flowers, so keep an eye out for broadleaf, arrowhead-shaped new growth in your garden to differentiate between desirable plants and bindweed. These uniquely shaped bracts and leaves are often a tipoff that you have bindweed stems (or petioles).
3. 3. Dig up the roots. If you recognize signs of this noxious weed spreading in your garden, you can dig it up to check the roots. Long, lateral roots that seem to stretch and stretch without end are another sign of bindweed.

Bindweed control is more often a long battle than a short one, as pulling them up by the roots is impractical due to the size of the plants and their roots. Here are five effective control methods you can consider using for bindweed roots:

1. 1. Defend the perimeter. The best way to handle a weeding problem is to ensure no bindweed seeds or roots get into your garden in the first place. Plant bamboo canes or place clear plastic walls around your yard to prevent roots from creeping into your garden.
2. 2. Starve the weeds of sunlight. If you haven’t planted any crop seed or decorative seedlings in your garden yet, try smothering out any latent bindweed, knotweed, and so on with wood chips, carpet, black plastic mulch, or other thick materials (to starve the weeds of sunlight). Making sure you round up any bindweed rhizomes in your garden before you start any tillage can help you keep your mind at ease.
3. 3. Use aggressive plants. If bindweed’s twining stems are already poking out of the top growth in your garden, you have to switch from offense to defense. Even though bindweed’s roots can spread, they will have a harder time gaining a foothold in a garden already densely packed with the roots of other plants. Using desirable plants with copious root systems can help starve out bindweed in the ground.
4. 4. Deploy a herbicide or weedkiller. Chemical control should be a last resort since it can harm other flowers, thistles, and plants in a garden. But sometimes it’s a necessary form of weed control in a particularly weed-ridden vegetable garden or lawn. Routinely pouring boiling water on the bindweed and its surrounding areas can be a start, as the heat will harm the weed’s stems and roots. If the problem persists, you can move on to a weed killer containing quinclorac, dicamba, or glyphosate.
5. 5. Prune repeatedly. Cutting bindweed down to the roots over and over can eventually prevent the plant from achieving photosynthesis. This will kill the roots while the plant is still in the ground. Incorporate weeding into your general mowing and lawn care routine to work toward eventually becoming bindweed-free.

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