Field Bindweed
People also called Morning Glory – even though it’s different than the morning story sold in nurseries. It’s a noxious weed. Roots can spread 30′ so it’s extremely hard to get rid of.
Life cycle
Perennial and spread it with roots and seeds.
Hazard
It can choke other plants and be mildly toxic to animals.
Control
How to get rid of them?
Prevention
How to prevent those suckers from coming back?
Life cycle
Perennial and spread it with roots and seeds.
Control
How to get rid of them?
Hazard
It can choke other plants and be mildly toxic to animals.
Prevention
How to prevent those suckers from coming out in spring?
Life cycle
Field bindweed’s roots can extend up to 30′ and form rhizome that stores carbohydrates and proteins. This allows the plant to sprout repeatedly from fragments. They also spread by seeds, which can remain viable in soil for up to 20 years, and one plant can produce up to 500 seeds.
As a perennial, it sprouts in spring from root system or seeds.
It flowers in summer.
It spreads aggressively and chokes the plants around it.
It stores energy to its extensive roots in fall before dormancy in winter.
Hazard
As the worst noxious weed, it can form dense infestations and smother other vegetation. The alkaloids in foliage can be mildly toxic to some livestock (horses and pigs), and cause digestive issues. Dogs can also be poisoned by field bindweed, which can cause vomiting, diarrhea, and lethargy.
What is the toxic chemical?
Bindweed contains several alkaloids which are toxic for mice, including pseudotropine, and lesser amounts of tropine, tropinone, and meso-cuscohygrine. The alkaloids are also reported to give the plant psychoactive properties.
How do you get rid of bindweed?
It’s extremely hard to get rid of due to its extensive root system. The pic is the tuber found under the driveway in Fort Collins. You can’t get rid of it by just hand pull or digging a few feet deep. (Pic credit: Colorado Department of Agriculture)
Control
They only grow 3-4″ and produce massive amounts of seeds. Very easy to pull by hand or rake before it goes seeded. If the seeds already go in the ground, consider a big scale of physical or chemical removal methods.
Handpull
partial roots- Organic, no chemicals.
- No other plants are harmed.
- Works great for new seedlings.
- You need to be doing it every 2 weeks if the plant already established. It will come out again, again and again
- It’s really not effective if the tuber underneath is huge.
- It takes 2-7 years to successfully eliminate the weed.
Physical removal
Digging + cover- No chemicals involved.
- Digging 2′ can get rid of lots of roots
- Don’t work for the deeper roots…
- Works better if you cover the area with cardboard and mulch 3″.
- Or plant clover lawn to outcompete the weed.
Herbicides
2,4-D, glyphosate, Quinclorac- Put bindweed in a plastic bag and spray chemicals in it. Seal for a week. Do it under 80°F.
- Best time to apply is fall when the plant stores energy back to the roots.
- Herbicides might harm your plants around it, with potential health hazards if you don’t use it correctly.
- The most efficient way to get a big infestation area under control.
- It’s toxic for animals and you.
Control bindweed with chemicals
No one likes spraying toxic chemicals in the yard but if you really need to do it, minimize the harm. You can watch the video or see the steps below.
Place the vine in a zipbloc bag.
Spray chemicals in the bag and seal it.
Place a towel on top of it and make sure it doesn’t get blown away.
It will turn brown within a few days.
Prevention
Catch them early in spring to prevent your garden get completely destroyed.
Competitive plants
Grow clover lawn or native plants to outcompete bindweeds.
Early control
Identify it when the infestation is small and remove it before it goes seeded.
Mulch it heavily
This can prevent new seeds from contacting the soil and taking roots.