Bindweed

has anyone had any experience with the noxious bindweed. ( correction knotweed ) It has taken over an area, and I would like to eradicate it. I don't like using anymore of a herbicide that what is neccesary. but I need to kill it before it takes over. thanks, Jim King

This message was edited Jul 1, 2008 11:17 PM

Is that what they call, fireweed?
Can't show pics, having a problem with my server.

Bindweed is native morning glory, a vining plant with a white flower.

Fireweed is a tall purple plant.

someone @ daves appropriately referred to bindweed as diabolical! I pulled and pulled and 'round uped' for several years. I still get it but it is manageable. Our former neighbors were indifferent to it which made the situation horrible.

Crazy what we each are blessed with - other than the occasional plant, we don't have much here at all.

I'm thinking, Jim, that you might want to try the vinegar mix - you might have to do it through a few generations as seeds germinate.

This article is interesting. I didn't realize it was such a problem in the midwest for farmers. It recommends salting, continuous cultivation and pasturing with hogs. I guess cheap salt is manufactured and marketed as bindweed salt. Hmmm.

http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/pr_histpubs/Pubs/SC101.PDF

When we moved onto our place it was literally over run with bindweed. I pulled and hoed and pulled and hoed to no avail. The bindweed persevered.

So I started spraying it with roundup. That would knock it down, but it would come back again looking like it had the flu then eventually healed up.

Finally I resorted to using roundup with a little LV6 in it. I think you have to get the LV6 from your local weed control board, or I think farmers can get it also. We got it from the weed board. That took care of the bindweed.

Now I only get the occasional plant when I disturb the ground with tilling or digging. The weeds that these plants shed can lay dormant for 50 years and whenever they are brought to the surface they sprout. That is the reason that this weed is so hard to control along county roads. The weed control board can spray it, but every time the road is bladed, it brings more seeds to the surface to sprout.

Bringing in composted manure is also a good way to get an infestation. It can be run through the animal, but it will still sprout. It can lay dormant in the manure pile forever also.

Nasty, nasty weed. It's PlantFile link is here: http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/32093/

Don't know what Bindweed is LOL. Never seen it here, show me a pic.

Check out the plantfile link above. Here's another one; http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=bindweed&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wi

Here's a picture of the Fireweed. Lots of it where I grew up in Fairbanks, Alaska. http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=bindweed&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wi. Apparently it's considered a noxious weed here, so you can't buy seeds. But I do have some on my property (I was so excited), so if anybody needs seeds . . . it won't bloom until late in the summer.

Sorry about your server issues. That must be frustrating.

We have a horrible problem with bindweed HERE! too. If I can get Garlon (Crossbow) on it the roots will croak. The only way to kill it. I swear I can rip it out and if a bit of root is left...back it comes!!!! Salting would mess up the soil!!!

Carol

It has a very, very ,very long root that finds any crevice to get in. I have followed one along for a yard at least and still didn't get it all.

gang, you're all going to hate me, what I meant to write was knotweed. not bindweed. and so has anyone had experience controlling it? again, I'm sorry for the confusion. Jim King

Like you Jim we had an area covered with the stuff - I have dug it out two years running, and found it reducing in the amount of growth. After the first year I dug in a load of humus, and that helped me get more of the root the following year (more workable soil). I continue to dig out more, but am trying Vinegar attacks this year (I coil up the long tenrils into a loose bundle and spray the bundle - to protect any neighbouring plants, I have cut the bottom out of an old bucket to use as a shield: put the bucket over the culprit and spray like madwoman!) In the interim, when I am really fed up with it, I harvest the stuff and shove it into the pernicious weed bokashi bin and think of it as more compost - follow this link http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/870485/ to read about pickled pernicious weeds! Hurrah - that will teach them - not.

Laurie, much help, thanks for the info, Jim

Jim, I f you want to know how to hanele Knotweed ask your Kitsap County Master Gardeners or your weed board. They have stuff you can inject into the stems. That is the only way to get rid of it.

Now that's interesting. We don't have much of it out my way (knock on wood), but I think that Poochella has a stand of it at her place in Bend.

I stopped by a home that was having a 'garden sale' last month and I am sure that it was knot weed I p/u. My daughter has a chunk of yard that needs covering so I planted that. This sale was in a beautiful back yard garden. Could there be knot weed and then Not Weed? this stuff had a reddish vein.

If it is Japanese Knotweed you had better pull it up fast. Many people who don't know better have it in their yards because it is big and beautiful. But it is like horsetail fern with deep roots and it kills out natives and is listed as a noxious weed.

This message was edited Jul 2, 2008 5:42 PM

Anastatia, does it look like this?

http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=japanese%20knotweed&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wi

I don't think the pix resembles what I bought. I will attempt to get a photo up soon.

Whew!!