Bindweed in compost heap!

[sarahspatch]

Hi,

I have had my allotment for just over a year, and discovered last summer that I had bindweed growing in and around my compost bins. The bins are made from pallets, so are able to twine around them a bit too well!!
I don't have it growing anywhere else (Yet!), and don't want to use weedkillers if poss - any ideas? And will the resulting compost be any good now?

Any help gratefully received!

[Peter]

If you don't want to use weedkiller, which would be no use until the green shoots are leafy anyway, then you will need to pick out every single tiny bit of bindweed root out of the compost by hand and it will then be perfectly usable.

[JennieAtkinson]

I have a weed which infiltrates my compost bins - I dont have bindweed but this is almost as bad (its like a purple catmint - quite pretty in the right places). I end up having to pick out every little bit of root out of the compost. Its bloomin annoying and even though I have put membrane down in the bottom of the bins it still manages to get through.

[Flummery]

I found bindweed roots growing through turf that had been stacked for 2 years! They were easy to see and pull out though, but it's a damned annoying plant. I found myself wishing you could stir-fry those fat, succulent roots!

[cookiewoos]

I've given in and sprayed the leaves on my compost heap with weedkiller. Not sure if it has properly killed the bindweed... but killed the leaves which made me feel better after picked tonnes of roots out of my soil! Must admit to a mad cackling "die bindweed die!" as I was spraying!!

[Hans Mum]

all you can do is keep pulling the b*&^^y stuff out if you dont want to spray

[rustylady]

Are you sure no-one has a good recipe for bindweed roots? They look juicy and succulent.
Seriously, if you have bindweed in your compost heap and don't want to spray, keep pulling out the shoots and disposing of them. When you go to use your compost sieve it through a coarse riddle and dispose of the roots by burning or putting in the council bin.

[sarahspatch]

Thanks for the replies - I guess the moral of the story is to put compost bins on top of weedproof membrane! If only I had thought of that before............!

[Two_Sheds]

Thanks for the replies - I guess the moral of the story is to put compost bins on top of weedproof membrane!

No such thing as far as bindweed is concerned...it will pierce and grow up thru a couple of layers of carpet