A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2006 scream! noxious weeds in my garden VENT

So I've been fighting this weed in my garden, wild morning glory aka FIELD BINDWEED. In my 'weed control' post I read about it being a hard weed to kill...

So I looked it up and it is a noxious weed in our state. and I believe it, because it seems the more I do the more comes back.

anyway, what a PITA. I've been hoeing up the baby plants but I've got a big garden area and all this weeding is keeping me from other stuff. I have a mulch ready to go on, but I'm running out of time as I'm going on vacation in a few days.

Also, the morning glory is seeding in the areas I just planted with corn and beans, and is almost taking over my cucumber row which I haven't planted. Its all in my tomato and pepper plots, and in my onion rows. Its everywhere and out to get me.

The biggest problem I found with that
weed is the root system...

If you pull that weed, you think, if you
got some of the roots, you did good..

But if you took a shovel, and shovel a big scoop under it,
and shook the dirt off of the roots,
you'd find a tangled mass that sorta reminds me of intestines
*not being funny, but that's what I thought* a greattttttttt bigggggggggg, long, white set of roots, in a big pile...

So you can pull all the top of the plant you want,
but unless you get that tangled mess of a
root system, the plant just keeps coming back and back...

So, keep the above ground leaves/stems pulled,
but eventually you have to get after the roots..

Also, if you mulch around your plants,
it does make the plants underneath harder to get thru,
struggle and starve it out for light, which makes it weaker *not kill it,
but weaker*

I think I'm going to go insane. Too bad a maltov cocktail wouldn't work.

I will have to mulch for now and do more digging when I get back from vacation. I will plant my cukes and stuff when I get back, I should have time still in the season.

Also, you might want to put down a few sheets (around 4) of wet newspaper and put the mulch on top of that. The newspaper will make it just that much more difficult for the morning glory to pop through the mulch. And it will just breakdown into the soil.

Sarah

Mrs. Spud. It is very hard to control and even harder to get rid of. 2,4-D will set in back. I've finally eradicated most of it on my property but took several years of dedicated Roundup use. During this time those areas weren't used for anything. Diggind is only temporary. The mulch ect. will slow it up but has never eliminated it for me and I've had experience with it since about 71. Best of luck. JD

Mrs. Spud I'm assuming you've confirmed this is bindweed. That is what my response was for. JD

If it's a noxious weed, then your state weed authority will have methods of eradication. Or at least suggestions. Possibly even help you with the job!!!!Maybe worth giving them a lookup or finding their website to get the lowdown on it.

Id invest in some roundup!

I do use round-up around the outside of my garden, but be VERY what you spray it on.

I normally point the nozzle away from the garden and spray it back toward me.

Roundup is a contact chemical. It will only kill what you spray in on. It won't vaporize and travel like some chemicals do. Just make sure you put it right on what you want to kill and don't spray in high winds. JD