permaculture

["Mike Skinner (Easy Hay)" <EasyHay@arn.net>]

Talking Bindweed:

     I’m a farmer in the Texas panhandle and most dryland has

bindweed here. It seems to be a loosing battle, but it’s

somewhat possible to live with it. Here are the approaches:

1.)     24D and Roundup will burn it down enough to keep from plugging up equipment

2.)               Keeping it from getting any sunlight via plowing every 15 days

3.)               Heavy sheep pressure

4.)               Sterilize the ground

5.)               The USDA in Bushland, Texas is experimenting with a mite.

6.)               Change your way of thinking; “bindweed is not the problem, farmers are.”

 

In exasperaton, I’ve tried to figure what niche bindweed was filling. To me it seems,

that being deep-rooted, it is breaking the hard pan, bringing up nutrients, as well

as keeping the ground from blowing as a result of “clean farming” or heavy grazing.

So, by my thinking, if we stopped making hard pan, possibly deep ripped, return

tilth, (like green manure Austrian Winter Peas), and leave cover on the ground, we

might help Mother Nature, the same way bindweed does.

 

Supposedly, the tea from bindweed has anti-cancer properties, but it’s hard to eat all the weeds!

 

Mike Skinner

 

 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Scott Pittman [mailto:pci@permaculture-inst.org]
Sent: Wednesday, August 16, 2000 6:28 PM
To: permaculture
Subject: Re: Bind weed

 

At 07:05 AM 8/16/00 -0400, you wrote:

Hi,

In a message dated 8/15/00 10:17:37 AM, pci@permaculture-inst.org writes:

<< Speaking of blessings - we have large patches of bindweed.  >> Hmmm...I
probably have this too:)   What does it look like, awhat is the botanical
name? Web pictures  URL?  Thanks again:) Frank

Hey  Frank, maintain good spirits. You may not have it. It looks like a smaller version of morning glory plant, but is perennial, will grow on a driveway, in sandy soil, with no light or water, and its vines choke other plants that happen to grow nearby. It is sign of overcompacted or overgrazed or otherwise mismanaged soil.
Roots go down at least 6 feet. Trumpet flowers are small, bleak pink. In absence of other plants spreads on the ground in mats.

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