A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2005 morning glory invasion

I have morning glories poping up all over my gardens. How do I get rid of them without harming the plants I want to keep. They do not go away by just pulling them out! Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

. I guess we both have different problems. You must of had seeds spread around by the birds or other wild life droppings. I would say to be patient for now since they are annual and remove some of the pods that will sprout on the areas you want to keep.

You might have a type of morning glory called field bindweed. It's vicious stuff! I have fought it for 15 years and just recently found out exactly what it is. My local extension office identified it and gave me some advice. They said I got this from bringing in soil or manure from a source that was infested with it. (It was probably the 2 year-old cow manure I got from a local farmer)

A patch of that stuff can create a deep root system that covers a 30 sq.ft. area in one season. That's why just digging, spraying, and pulling occasionally doesn't help. You must immediately spray or pull every sign of the stuff for months, even years, until you starve the root system. It will spread into other areas to find a way to get sunlight. Watch your lawn, bushes, etc.

This stuff is right up there with Canada thistle. In fact, one sight I found said that when a farm field is infested with bindweed it reduces its property value.

I have a pdf that shows the leaves, flowers and seeds of the 2 main types of bindweed, but I can't seem to find a way to paste it into this forum. If anyone can help me, I will provide more pics and illustrations from web sites.

Thanks for the info even though it is not good news. I will keep spraying and pulling. Right now I am using just a basic weed killer as a spray. Did your local extension have any suggestionas as to what should be used? Thanks, Winston1

Stormy, now I'm concerned. I took a pic of a mystery weed that's growing in my yard near what I thought was morning glories. This one isn't a vine, though the leaves are similar. Does it look like bindweed to you?



I think I'll go batty if I have something other than green briar to fight with Ignorance is bliss Thanks for any insight!

Hmm actually, after doing a little more digging, I think it might be buckwheat. Winston, may be that's what you have too...check out this link

buckwheat

Wish there was a way to know before it flowers

I have never seen the flowers on mine. I think it is the bindweed. I may try some landscape fabric and really thick mulch to try and keep it out of my flower beds. Thanks

Wild morning glories or bindweed are easily killed with 2,4-d, the only problem is that so are almost all other broadleafed plants, so be very careful applying it around your garden. DO NOT use Round-Up as this is systemic and it will also harm your good plants if used to close to them in great amounts.

Is 2,4-d available at a garden center?

Thanks.

Yes many forms of it are. 2.4.D. is just the abrieviation for the active ingredient.
Ortho's weed-b-Gone is about the most popular of the over the counter formulations. Just follow the directions to the letter. Herbicides are one of those things where "more" is not better.

Thanks Mike!