Bindweed

Anniemarshy

Does anyone have any ideas of how to kill bindweed?  I am currently trialing the roundup gel. 

pr1mr0se

I haven't had much success with this gel.  The theory is good, but in practise it doesn't seem to do the job.

For bindweed, I unwind it from the plant around which it has lovingly entwined itself and then use a large drink bottle (2 litre lemonade size is good).  With the bottom cut off, it makes a long sort of a bell shape.  I poke the bindweed up through the neck of the bottle, and then spray into the bottle with regular weedkiller.  This means that the bottle protects surrounding plants, and the whole thing is left for a week or so until the bindweed has died.  It works pretty well - although the roots are the devil to kill outright, and it may come back a couple of times.  But this method will weaken it initially and eventually kill it.

This method is also very good when the stuff is in the middle of a much-loved plant that needs protecting.

Hope this helps.

 

Farmergeddun

I am letting mine grow until autumn (wrapped around my peas and beans).  Then in autumn (as the plant draws the goodness from the leaves down to the roots ready for winter) I will be giving it a good dose of glyphosate.  I am removing all of the flowers as I see them.

The Bearded One

If I may add to Shrinking's post I have had good success with this using a slightly different method, by making up roundup out of a concentrate with ~10-20% more water and then pouring it in a bottle (it must be clear for good results) you can ball up the bindweed, shove it in and keep the bottle in a light place.

The rational is that by keeping the bottle in the light the bindweed will photosynthesize and draw the weedkiller into the plant at great amounts, therefore hugely overdosing the root system instead of just weakening it.

I have always recommended this in my shop and so far it has been entirely effective.

The Bearded One

The Bearded One

Unfortunately the gel is never absorbed well (wish they could bring back ammonium sulphamate!) as far as I know most of the systemic (non SBK) weedkillers use 7.2g/L glyphosate, the main difference is the carrier. (That said roundup itself is more toxic to plants than the active ingredient I understand)

The Bearded One

Fairygirl

Verd -yes Resolva's the only one worth having in my opinion. Not a fan of weedkiller, but when you need it that's the best one as it works quickly.

I remember the one with the brush too.

Weeds are extremely clever at growing around other plants they look like.  By the time you realise they are weeds it's often too late and they have a stranglehold! 

fidgetbones

I read in Gardeners world that people have glyphosate residues in their body. On investigating further it seems that Monsanto have modified Soya beans to be resistant to roundup. They then spray the entire field, and kill off all the weeds leaving just the soya. ( A bit like lawn weedkiller killing all broadleaved weeds in a lawn and leaving the grass.)

However the resistant strain of soya  still absorbs the roundup, but it doesn't kill it.

 When we eat this GM Soya, which is in many processed foodstuffs, we then retain glyphosate residues.  It is thought to promote breast cancer, by interfering with hormone pathways. Monsanto are trying to get the legal limit of  residue in Soya beans raised. I think that GM modified Soya should be banned altogether.

The Bearded One

Mm theres nothing wrong with GM crops used wisely, like the Flavr Savr tomato (basicly reversed the tomatoes own RNA to stop it breaking down so fast and last longer on shelves) but reckless chemical enablement (and indeed reckless chemical use should always be avoided.