permaculture

["PINC" <pinc@svn.net>]

Title: Re: Bind weed

I haven't been keeping up with the bindweed conversation as it no longer is much of a problem for me. Since the conversation is still happening, I thought I would share how I resolved the bindweed issue on my ¾ acre garden.

 

 

Bindweed came when I imported mushroom compost into my yard (before I knew about permaculture) and yes it was for a dastardly lawn!!!!!! (which has since been mulched). It had spread through out my entire garden.  I sheet mulched it with cardboard and newspaper in the spring. By the time it emerges mid summer, most of the oomph is taken out of it and it becomes a nice green ground cover and doesn't have enough energy to twine up the plants. Other places it has been shaded out. I have never seen it grow vigorously under plants like comfrey and rhubarb.  It also prefers compacted soil (according to an article I read about it). Once the soil is cushy and soft, it is easy to pull. Digging & cultivating also propagates it. We don’t' dig we only fork which lifts the roots out better. I'm sure once it's there it will always be there but permaculture gardening methods seem to minimize maintenance and I don't consider it a "problem" any more. I also feed it to my chickens and they seem to like it. Geese will also eat it.

Good luck!

 

Penny

 

-----Original Message-----
From: mbgrey [mailto:MBGREY@mnp.net]
Sent: Friday, August 18, 2000 4:25 AM
To: permaculture
Subject: Re: Bind weed

 

It invaded in a very small strawberry patch. I covered the whole area with black plastic about two weeks ago. The bindweed is creeping up through edges.
--
Marty Grey
Meadow Medicinals
11795 State Route 78
Caldwell, OH 43724
MBGREY@mnp.net

From: "Mike Skinner (Easy Hay)" <EasyHay@arn.net>
Reply-To: "permaculture" <permaculture@franklin.oit.unc.edu>
Date: Thu, 17 Aug 2000 15:29:21 -0500
To: "permaculture" <permaculture@franklin.oit.unc.edu>
Subject: RE: Bind weed

Arina saidŠ.
I heard of a BD approach, that sounded this way:
3 consecutive years of pumpkins will smother the bindweed. Well, here we also have the ferocious squash bug that will destroy all the pumpkins.         But once we move in our new house, that is choked by the bindweed from 3 sides, even some is growing up the drain inside  the house, I will try a lot of biomass and pumpkins.

Mike said:

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.


Arina said:
I think this approach may also help with the thistle - to plant deep rooted plants that will break the soil. The bindweed, though has a different kind of root, not the tap, but more runner type. It seems to be intimidated by a good stand of red clover - still grows, but more modest looking, and less brutal.



Mike¹s new thought:

    Arina, But, then, red clover might be pernicious.  I wonder if another viney crop, indigenous, Buffalo Gourd, would work, like pumpkins, but it¹s perennial, too.

    Also, I¹ve used bi-annual stubble turnips, successfully, to break up hard pan. Cost is around $4 per pound,

but the tiny seeds cover a lot of area. Austrian Winter peas are also viney and strangle bindweed.

A smattering of kenaf or red top cane, (early sumac) or sterile hybrids, would add height to a mix, and allow trellising, and further keep light off the ground-hugging bindweed.



mike