[Carrie3]

Hi everyone - hope someone can help me.

I have a lot of bindweed and fat hen on my plot and thought I might clear it my spraying glyphosphate (sp ?) on it, and covering with black plastic.  Do I have to wait for the weeds to die back after spraying or can I just put the plastic down straight away?  I want to put spuds in this ground next year.  I've cleared some of it by pulling it out!

I started digging it up, but it was such hard work and I thought I'd conquer half of the plot by using the easy way!!

Thanks!

Carrie xx

[Yorkie]

Hi Carrie

I've moved this thread over to Grow Your Own, hope you find it ok!

You will need to wait 10-14 days after spraying with glyphosate before covering or digging the weeds out - this allows the weedkiller to work its way down to the root system.

I think you'll find you will still need to do the digging (though fat hen pulls out of the ground really easily); weedkiller isn't necessarily a short-cut but it does allow you to keep on top of things.

[Ivah]

If you don't want it until next year I would spray, let it die then roughly clear it off then look for regrowth and a possible second spray (if the Autumn is mild) before covering.

[Carrie3]

Thanks for the reply - I know there is no easy answer except to dig!!

I just want to keep it manageable and tidy in the meantime!

Cheers guys!!

Carrie xx

[noshed]

The main thing you need to remember is that glyphosate is a systemic herbicide which means it passes through the leaves and down to the roots when the plant is growing. So this time of year is a good time to do it but don't cover straight afterwards. Wait a couple of weeks for it to wither. I was just admiring my withered bindweed today. Warms the cockles of your heart.

[Spana]

Yeh, I'd spray it off as well but wouldn't cover it with plastic.
 Leave it as said above for the weed killer to get down into the roots and respray if you have regrowth.  Then rotavate it well or dig it if you must turning the top under so its buried.  Then cover with the thickest layer of muck that you can and leave over the winter.  In the spring go over it again with the rotavator perhaps twice letting it dry a bit between sessions and you will have a lovely bed ready to go.

[Zippy]

I woulnt rotovate Bindweed. Any tiny piece which the glyphosphate didnt get will turn round and bite you later on when it becomes a whole new plant, but stronger!

I would dump a thick layer of corrugated cardboard over the area, then a whole load of compost and lawn mowings, then plant potatoes over the area as soon as they are right for planting. The shade of the compost and plants will keep the Bindweed at bay and the potato harvest will bring a lot of the bindweed roots up nice and easy.

Then just make sure that whatever you plant there has a tight enough canopy to keep the plot in shade until the bindweed gives up. Despite what folks say, you can eventually kill bindweed off this way.

[totalnovice]

I have !tonnes! of bind weed on my plot and after digging by blighty potatoes ( ) got out loads of bind weed root! i was so excited! plan on doing a big spray session next weekend, give the bits i missed a chance to start growing again and hopeefully get it under control a bit for next year!

[chili]

i have a similar problem 1st year plot owner and made the mistake of rotovating at the start.
1/2 of my plot is still sort of grass which i am thankful for as its less to maintain at the moment
the top 1/4 of my plot i done 1 bit on my hand and knees and a little fork took my 2 weeks to get miles of weed now i have it kind of under control but i am finding bits growing back at an alarming rate if not watched.
the other bit of the top section i done with weedol and left this area for maybe 3 to 4 weeks everything is now a shriveled up weed garveyard and the section of this that i have forked over is staying relativly weed free.
this pile of weed below was mixed in with my spuds   however my spuds survived and were lovely. i have now obtained some "glyfos" from a m8 at work and am just waiting to get out with this
my advice use weedkiller on it all, wait and watch it die.

[Carrie3]

Thanks everyone - its nice (and I don't mean this nastily 'cos you've got bindweed!! ) to know that I'm not in this alone.

I'm a bit fed up 'cos I've cleared it all once, went on hols and with the rain, sun, rain and more rain, I've now got a jungle again!!

Ah well - back to the starting gate for me!! :blink:

Carrie xx