Bind weed

[Paulottie]

CDA! sounds interesting-is it fiddly and Expensive? Rustylady is right: Overstrength normal spraying will just scorch it. Digging it out and never letting it seed works best in the long run but this is definately easier if you have some Mypex to weaken it first. I grew a lot of crops through it and covered spare beds for the first few years- definately made the initial task less overwhelming

I'm not sure about plastic bottles, but when it pops up in permanant beds- rasberries asparagus etc. -where digging is impossible. You might try growing it up a cane then pulling out the cane, stuffing the plant in a plastic bag and spraying into that. Then laccy band it and leave it. It just keeps the stuff in contact with the weed and avoids drift problems. This method will also work for Horse's A*se.(as we like to know it) but you need to first rub it between a couple of stones to break the waxy coating that impedes the take up.

Is 'Pathclear' a trade name for sodium chlorate? I'm not sure about using anything that persists that long in the soil where I Grow my food.

[Rowan]

I don't use chemicals at all. My garden was overrun with bindweed when I bought the house, but is now fairly clear. Look out for it in early spring - you'll soon tune your eyes in to the tell-tale shoots. Pull each shoot up very gently, digging down with your fingers to get as much root as you can. This is easir after heavy rain. In spring, some will come out with a dead, brown end - hooray! Got that one! Others will snap off. Keep at it, pulling up every little shoot, and put it in your green-waste bin if your council supplies one, or rot down in a plastic bag before composting. It IS possible to stay on top of it this way, but if your garden is big enough, and you have a wild area, leave some to grow - the flowers are beautiful.

[PAULW]

PAULOTTIE
A replacement product called Pathclear 3 has just been introduced for those people who don't have any stock to use up. This is available from the shelves of all gardening retailers right now. The new and improved formula of amitrole, 2,4-D and diuron will kill weeds and roots of even deep-rooted weeds and prevents further weed germination for up to 12 months. A much improved product that remains effective for much longer.

[OverWyreGrower]

We're hiring a flame gun thing and burning our bind weed, couch grass and mares tail....

I shall really, really enjoy it

[diggerdelaney]

this may help it worked for me before you spray crunch as many leaves as you can in your hand then spray it breaks up the surface of the leaf allowing the weed killer to penetrate into the plant and get down to the roots a lot quicker