Re: Bind weed on allotment....

[donahuer@ols.net (Randy )]

>Is bindweed Bermuda grass?
Bindweed is a close relative of Morning Glory, with the added distinction of
being a perennial in many of the warmer parts of the U.S. This means that it
gets a jump on annual crops as well as other weeds here in NC. I had one
half of my corn patch(the half that wasnt cover in wild chrysanthemum before
I tilled it) totally overrun by this noxious weed. Another point is that I
didnt see much bindweed or Morning glories in the patch in its wild
state,i.e. natural competition was eliminated by yours truly and it upset
the balance in plavce there. Another insight gained was that the huge number
of bindweeds that came up did so from seeds that had overwintered for many
years. I saw so many seeds from the bindweed on the ground when I cleaned up
in late summer that I initially thought my corn was supporting a large rat
population. 
        You have to come down HARD on this bindweed! Seeds from this and
prior years are lying dormant in the soil. The weed can germinate after each
rain, and at any time of the year(but wont set seed unless by the early
fall). The seedlings can be recognized by the shape of the cotyledons: that
of two rectangles side by side, with rounded,ellipsed ends opposite the
stem. This is the easiest time to control when they come up near the bases
of your plants(crop plant auxins have little effect on them). After a rain
or two it will be too late to do weeding economically without doing damage
to your plants. Lawrence's suggestion of solarization with plastic looks
like a safe bet. Another solution would be to grow a warm season cover crop
of cowpeas and millet, mowing each time bindweed begins to appear. Also,
delay spring tilling until the first bindweeds and morning glories appear,
and then be merciless. You will just have to exhaust the roots and seed
reserve in the soil until the numbers are reduced.

                   -Joseph R. Donahue