Hello! Thank you for your question to AskExtension/Ask a Master Gardener. I will be happy to research and provide an answer to your question, but I want to be certain that I correctly understand your question. Are you asking about removing bindweed from your yard? Is your front yard a lawn, a garden or a combination?

You can get back to me with a response and I will reopen your question and respond promptly. Photos would be helpful, if you can.

I am very sorry to say that bindweed (Convolvulus) is considered to be one of the most noxious of weeds. It is persistent, invasive and very difficult to eradicate. It sounds like you found it early and that you are applying correct techniques in fighting it. Every source I have read has said that it is an ongoing battle that takes years.

Make sure that what you are fighting is bindweed and not a look-alike. This article will help.

The reason bindweed is so difficult to eradicate is twofold. First, when the flowers are left to go to seed, they can remain dormant in the soil for a long time. Some sources say, “for decades”. So, just when you think it is under control, a new seed will sprout, and your battle begins anew. Second, the root system of bindweed is both wide and deep; the field bindweed variety can have a taproot as much as nine feet (some sources say fifteen) which can reach deep into the soil for nutrients and water. It can send roots under expanses of concrete to pop up on the other side, or through a crack. I know this is daunting information, so let’s get onto what you can do to keep bindweed under control.

Bindweed flowers this time of year, and those flowers will produce many seeds. So, the first task is to remove every flower before it goes to seed.

The second task is to attack the plant itself. There are several strategies, all of which are aimed at stopping the plant from photosynthesizing, which will eventually deprive it of food to weaken and kill it. (The roots of bindweed form rhizomes which can store food for the plant for “several seasons” according to sources.)

There are several ways to attack the plant. 

- When it is in a lawn, mowing the plant might cause it to send out more roots and shoots; when the plant is cut off above the ground it signals the remaining plant and roots to create new shoots. So, if the bindweed is confined to a section of your lawn, you might restrict mowing, raising the blade above the level of the tallest bindweed.

- Meanwhile, you can “paint” the remaining bindweed with a herbicide (poison) labeled as effective for bindweed. This includes “2,4-D, aminocyclopyrachlor + chlorsulfuron, dicamba, glyphosate, imazapic, metsulfuron , picloram , and quinclorac.” (Full article here.) If you spray rather than paint a non-selective herbicide, you will kill your grass along with the bindweed. Herbicides are effective because the herbicide will be absorbed into the stem and carried to the roots. However, this is not a one and done approach. As previously noted, the bindweed root system is vast and the plant will attempt to survive by “popping up” new growth, sometimes a distance from the site you are treating, so persistence is necessary in finding and treating all the bindweed in your lawn This time of year (late July through fall) is the best time of year to apply herbicide against bindweed. When using a chemical herbicide, be sure to read and carefully follow all package directions and to wear protective clothing and eyewear.

- If you choose to not use a chemical herbicide you can manually remove bindweed by digging, pulling and cutting. The intent is to deprive the plant of sunlight by removing all above-ground leaves, eventually starving the bindweed out. This, too, is a long-term approach, and there is some disagreement as to which mechanical method (digging, pulling or cutting) is most effective. I’ve included several resources, found below, for you, should you wish to learn more.

- Pouring boiling water on bindweed can kill the shoot. You can read an article about it here. It is mostly effective on new growth, and when used in combination with other control methods.

The answer to the “how you got it” question is anyone’s guess. It could have come in underground from a nearby property, from seed carried by birds or animals, blown in by wind or come with the soil of a transplanted plant, mulch,  machinery … there are many possibilities. It is a sneaky plant!

Be sure to destroy any pieces of plant you remove, as they can root and start the cycle over. Although they could be composted, you would have to be sure that the temperature of the compost heap was sufficient to destroy the plant. Personally, I wouldn’t take the chance.

I’m sorry that there isn’t an easier solution to your bindweed issue. Please feel free to write back if you have any further questions or need clarification. I would love to hear from you! In preparing to answer your question, I consulted several research-based sites to ensure that my response was accurate and timely. I have included the best of those sites below.

Best of luck in your battle against bindweed!

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Resources for you:

University of Illinois Extension Managing Bindweed a Difficult Task https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/garden-scoop/2023-06-25-managing-bindweed-difficult-task

University of Oregon Extension Controlling Bindweed Takes Persistence https://today.oregonstate.edu/news/controlling-perennial-bindweed-takes-persistence

Colorado State University Extension Controlling Bindweed https://planttalk.colostate.edu/topics/weeds-cultural-problems/2104-controlling-bindweed/ Information about chemical control

Cornell University Extension Bindweed Identification https://cals.cornell.edu/weed-science/weed-identification/bindweed-identification

Iowa State University Extension Can I Manage Weeds With Boiling Water? https://yardandgarden.extension.iastate.edu/faq/can-i-manage-weeds-boiling-water

Ohio State CFAES Field bindweed https://ohiograpeweb.cfaes.ohio-state.edu/ipm/weeds/field-bindweed

Ohio State CFAES Hedge bindweed https://pested.osu.edu/node/415

Knowledgebase: Bindweed https://ask2.extension.org/kb/faq.php?id=641431

Gardening Know How Bindweed Control https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/weeds/controlling-bindweed.htm#:~:text=These%20methods%20are%20ideal%20for,in%20length.

Sure thing, Diana! You should be able to see the entire conversation when you open this "question". You might need to click on the blue link to question 0510768. 

If this doesn't work for you, contact me again and I will escalate to our admin for assistance.

Good luck with your bindweed battle!