"Kay Lancaster" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 29 May 2012 08:48:37 +0000, weh100
wrote:

Hi, I have just purchased a house which has been uninhabited for many
years hence the garden is a mess. the biggest issue seems to be the
bindweed which is nearly everywhere and the soil is pretty much made up
of the roots of this. I have read plenty of threads on how to take out
bindweed but much of this is related to protecting nearby plants an

Is this what you've got?
http://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/organicweeds/weed_information/weed.php?id=71
or
http://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/organicweeds/weed_information/weed.php?id=123

All of the rhizomatous perennials are difficult to kill, especially when
well
established. The rhizomes are actually underground stems, and if they get
broken up, they'll start new plants.

Depending on what you want to save and how big the area is, there are
several approaches.

1) "I don't care what else is back there, I want to start from bare soil
next
year and plant everything myself": Spray with a non-selective herbicide,
wait
a month, cut everything back to ground level, water well, and wait for
new sprouts to show up (and they will). Spot spray everything that shows
up
ASAP. Your goal is to have bare soil by early fall, when you'll plant an
annual cover crop to hold the soil over the winter. In the spring, cut
the
cover crop and plant your new garden. You will need to keep a good eye
out
for regrowth of bindweed over the next few years; seeds in the soil are
good
for 50+ years, but once you're not digging and you don't have a lot of
bare soil, the percentage germinating will be lower.

2) as above, but prefer a mechanical approach rather than herbicides:
Cut everything back, make a daily round with a hoe and cut all new
sprouts.
The idea here is that you'll need to exhaust the rhizomes in the soil --
let them sprout (using up reserves in the rhizomes) and then remove the
topgrowth before they have a chance to replace the reserves. Keep the
yard watered to encourage the rhizomes to sprout.

3) as above, but maybe a little less physical labor: depending on climate
and the amount of sun the area gets, you may be able to solarize your
garden, Cut everything to the ground, water well, cover with *clear*
plastic sheeting, and wait till the soil temperature reaches 125oF for at
least
two months. Uncover, and watch for regrowth. UK gardens may not
be able to get the soil to that temperature -- we have a hard time doing
it in much of the wetter PNW US.

I have my doubts about being able to accomplish this in one growing
season with methods 2 and 3 in most of the British Isles.

4) "I'd like to keep the current plantings and get rid of the bindweed".
Pull or clip every bindweed you can find. Throw all of this in a
black bin bag, add a cup of water, tie the bag, and leave the bag
in the sun for at least a week, turning the bag over periodically.
Then dispose of the contents.
Follow with watching the garden for regrowth and treating just the
regrowth with a systemic herbicide, about once a week.

In any case, I would be vigilant about weeding for the next few years,
and if the adjacent property is infested, I'd probably put in soil
barriers
like rolled metal sheeting inserted vertically in the soil.

Kay (who's been working on killing English Ivy for the last 7+ years)

Perhaps the "chop, nuke, and smother" method might work here.
First cut the plants off at ground level as best you can (chop). Remove
the cuttings. Second, apply a 20% strength vinegar solution (nuke). This
is about four times as strong as the household variety. It is available
over the web but I have been able to get garden supply stores to order it
for me to avoid some of the costs and any issues due to a minimum quantity
order. It is best to apply the acetic acid during a dry spell. You must
wear hand and eye protection. Third, cover the entire area with something
thick and heavy like a carpet remnant or even sheet metal (smother).
The fertility and soil life will return to normal naturally or you can
lime the area after a few months to bring back the soil pH. You will have
to be vigilant about any returning weeds but they should be very few in
number if there are any at all.

Good luck.