Vine weed in the veg patch!!!!!!!

AHHHHHHH! I have lots of young vine weed popping up in my new veg patch which is fully planted. Can anyone advise what will be the best course of action. I hear it can send roots as deep as a well , so is a barrier a waste of time? The veg patch is along my next door neighbours fence.I am soooo depressed! :( Apparently once its in your garden you can't get rid of it. I am growing veg organically , but under extreme circumstances I would consider chemicals when the crops are in.Any advice greatfully accepted .

 

I presume it's what I know as bindweed that you've got, Looselotty. That's a real pain, and generally does come in from next door..... If it's in your veg patch, then I wouldn't even think of considering weedkiller.

I would keep pulling the stuff out this season, and once your veg is all harvested, do a thorough weed of the whole bed, and put down a barrier between you and next door to avoid problems next year.

 

I have exactly the same problem if it's any concelation Lotty

 

I find it usually comes up from the clay subsoil and without digging to about three feet down your not going to eradicate it.
Its something I tend to live with and have done for years, just dig out what you can when preparing the ground and then keep hand weeding all the summer.
It may decrease if you keep on top of it, but I dont think you will kill it off entirely.
Just a thought, but bind weed loves mechanical diggers, they chop the roots up a treat and spread it all over.

 

I've never been able to get rid of this Bxxxxy weed in any way other than using S.B.K. After you've finished harvesting try using the full strength application on it. It's neutralised in the soil. If you try to dig up Bindweed, the tiniest bit of root makes another plant. If you're trying to control it manually, make sure you don't leave any leaves on the surface of the bed. They regenerate, as well, it's a real pain, good luck!

 

I can remember my mum having problems with it when I was a kid, I don't think she ever got rid of it completely and we lived in that house for years, you just need to keep on top of it so it doesn't get too strong a hold

 

I haven't got it in my veg bed, thank goodness! But did have a problem with it coming in from next door. I just pull it gently every time I see it and have so far managed to keep on top of it pretty well - fingers crossed. If the soils dry you can sometimes pull up great strands of it and as long as you burn it and don't drop any it's ok!!
Good luck, just keep on tugging it up!! :D

 

I just go round pulling bits up as they appear, as everyone says keeping on top of it. if you have a very big garden I don't know what the answer is.
Windy, I find it very satisfying pulling out a really long bit! :D
When I first came here every bit of bare ground sprouted groundelder and bindweed. So I've been pulling and hoeing for 2 years and finally have more plants than weeds. I also planted loads of wild strawberries which compete well with the weeds, are much easier to pull up, and are compostible- though I do compost bindweed and groundelder after leaving either to rot or dry out completely.

 

spot weed with glyphosate may take repeated application but it works,,evetually

 

Hi Lotty ,
Dont despair - there is a way out of this !

Bury a small container ( small jar , yog pot etc ) near the offending weed shoots and fill with liquid weedkiller. Take an end shoot of the bindweed and cleanly cut the end off with a sharp knife, then simply plunge the growing end into your weedkiller. This works well in drier spells, as the weed takes the liquid of the weedkiller as food for the plant, taking it all the way back to the roots!

It can take time to rid a garden ( im still applying this technique to new shoots when i find them ) , but it seems overall to be working.

I think I read this in an old Percy Thrower book, so I cant take the credit.

Good luck.

 

Thankyou everyone. After reading all yuor replies I shall try a barrier near the neighbours fence after harvesting and also carefully dig down to the subsoil ( which I think is sand), while using the method octarine suggested - very clever! What weedkiller do you use by the way? :confused:

 

i too am about to start action against bindweed.

what is the best weedkiller to use with the jam jar in the soil technique? i heard it has to be a slow acting one to be sure the plant takes the weedkiller right back to the root?

 

Whats the jam jar technique Crispz?

Oh just read Octarine's Post.
I think it needs to be in growth for that to work.

 

Crispz, you are better off waiting until spring when new growth starts, and then spraying it with glyphosate. You will need to do it several times over the year, but you will get rid of it. If you have a Wilkinsons store near you they sell glyphosate quite cheap.

 

Is glyphosate the same as Roundup?

I saw someone else recommending SBK Brushwood Killer which does actually name bindweed on its label - is SBK any better or are they chemically one and the same thing.