Can anyone help with what this is?

louiseflatman7

I live in a rented property and decided to tackle the garden (wish I hadn’t). It’s overgrown and not great - can anyone tell me what this weed is, I’m a complete garden novice and got it into my head it could be Japanese knotweed but after some research I think it could be bindweed or something like that - can anyone help? 

carolkhan

There is definitely a lot of bindweed there.  Last picture but one shows this clearly - long strangling stems.

carolkhan

There would also appear to be some variegated ivy (first picture).

BobTheGardener

Yes, it is bindweed.  If you try and dig the white fleshy roots out, they are very fragile and each tiny piece which breaks off will grow into a new plant.  Because of this and the extent of the infestation, I think you are going to have to resort to a type of weedkiller which is translocated from the leaves to the roots, as it is those which need killing.  Anything with glyphosate in will work, but you'll need to spray the lot and then wait a few weeks until the foliage has gone brown, at which point you can pull them up.  Even then, some will likely come back and will need to be re-treated.  It will give up eventually.

If you have concerns about using chemicals then try digging out as many roots as you can and then hand-pulling every time you see a new shoot appear, but it may take  several years before it submits.

louiseflatman7

Thank you both!

BobTheGardener

PS, also looks like some green alkanet (Pentaglottis sempervirens) in the last photo which is also difficult to clear due to a large and deep root system but will respond to exactly the same treatment.

Joy*

If you want glyphosate, don't wait too long to get some. My garden centre had cleared their shelves in half a day yesterday because they were selling it half price. They were preparing for it being banned as it was the weedkiller involved in a huge cancer payout in USA.  Good if used with great care because it is one of the few things which helps get rid of bindweed. Yours appears to have the sort of buds which come out as large white bells which we call convovulus. It's very pretty if in the wilds of the countryside but NOT what you want in a garden as it grows to an enormous size - even bigger than ordinary bindweed!

Joy*

P.S. Good luck.

Lyn

We used to pick it from the hedges, squeeze the flower out and call it Granny -pop -out-of-bed,