Field bindweed is easily the first prize winner in the nuisance weed category. Itap been documented in the eastern U.S. since the early 1700s and then steadily moved westward. It thrives up to about 8,000 feet in elevation. This unwelcome noxious weed grows along the ground or vines everywhere in Colorado — lawns, gardens, pastures, roadsides, rangeland, waste areas and cultivated fields. And yes, you do see it thriving in narrow sidewalk cracks, around, between and through flower beds and chain-link fences.
• As part of the morning glory family itap often confused as a charming pink or white summer flowering vine. No way — check the leaf shape for correct identification. Annual (noninvasive) morning glory leaves are round and heart shaped (pretty and cute). Perennial bindweed leaves are narrow and shaped more like arrowheads. Their trumpet-shaped summer blooming pink or white flowers reach about an inch wide.
• Field bindweed is designated as a “List C” species under the Colorado Noxious Weed Act. That means it is required to be contained, eradicated or suppressed, depending on the local governing bodies managing the weed. Read more on noxious weeds at
• Its extensive root system is what makes bindweed so hard to battle. Each plant produces several lateral roots that develop tap roots and then send up new rhizomes to the soil surface which create more plants. As soon as one plant is destroyed or severed from the parent plant, another one takes its place from one of the many rhizomes created.
• Just one tangled growing mass of bindweed vines left on its own can grow 18-feet across and 20-feet deep in three growing seasons. One plant can produce up to three hundred seeds which are viable in the soil for forty years or more.
• Control is manageable if you keep at it. Pull, cut or yank bindweed out each time you see the weed emerge — even though another one will soon take its place. The goal is to wear it out, stress it constantly, force it to use its nutrient reserves. The battle may take years — but keep pulling.
• Bindweed likes sun. Mulch to a depth of 3 inches in ornamental beds to keep its growth down. A layer of grass or straw mulch in the vegetable bed may also keep it in check. Pulling it out of moist mulch is much easier than dry soils.
• A healthy landscape and lawn will keep many weeds out in the first place including bindweed. Work on positive cultural practices including spring lawn aeration, regular watering, fertilization and not cutting the grass too low (maintain height of 2½ to 3 inches). Herbicide use for bindweed control in lawns or the landscape is effective when using formulations designated for bindweed control, read and follow all package instructions. Lawn herbicide products are not safe or legal to use in vegetable or ornamental beds.
• Biocontrols (like bindweed mites) are available for bindweed and other noxious weeds of Colorado. Fees apply for these controls and are most effective on large, non-irrigated sites, not the typical home well-watered landscape. Read more at
Container ready
• Sweep off the front porch, back patio and clean out the containers – planting time is around the corner.
• Check containers for mineral deposits and debris from prior use. The white film on the outside is salt residue from fertilizers. The residue is unsightly and could leach back into porous containers this season.
• Use a flexible brush on plastic containers and steel wool or a stiff-bristled brush on clay or concrete pots to remove dirt. Soak smaller containers in a solution of one-part household bleach to nine parts water or vinegar and water for an hour. Wash off the solution with water and a few drops of dish soap. Rinse well. Sterilize container trays as well.
• For large containers that can’t be soaked try scouring off the outside dirt and salt with a brush.
• Replacing last year’s potting soil is recommended, especially for container grown vegetables. If the container is too large, remove the top several inches of soil and replace with new.
• Never use soil from the yard for containers, itap too heavy for healthy root growth and may contain pest insects and diseases. Stock up on new potting soil and get ready for planting after the final spring frost — hopefully around, or possibly after, Mother’s Day.
