It’s that time of year when, unfortunately, our plot neighbour’s bindweed patch really hits its stride.
I say bindweed patch, although obviously he’s not growing the stuff deliberately. It used to be his compost heap, but the bindweed got in, and now it’s a bit out of hand, and he works nights so doesn’t have a lot of time for plot-work, and there’s other stuff he needs to do when he has the time, and… well, it is what it is and it can’t be helped, for now. I just have to hack back the thicket when it threatens to over-spill too far into our utility area and do the best I can.
Here’s my latest attempt to combat the pernicious perennial, or the start of one at least:
A couple of months ago I salvaged a dozen or so roof tiles from a skip. They interlock (sort of) along the edge, so I reckon if I trench them in so there’s a good 6″ – 8″ below the ground, that might help stop the bindweed’s subterranean stems in their tracks. Or at least force them up to the surface, where they’re more easily dealt with.
Probably a vain hope, most likely I’ll find bindweed growing through the supposedly interlocking sections in a month or two. But it’s worth a try.
On the subject of bindweed, here’s a video I posted to Twitter back in April showing just what can happen if the stuff gets into your black plastic compost bins…
Ha! Call yourself a bindweed infestation? Is that the best you can do? You're not even try… ah. No, wait, I see what you did there. #allotment #thehorrorthehorror! pic.twitter.com/NB4oYt6rhi
— Notes From the Allotment (@nftallotment) April 11, 2019
How about you? Problems with bindweed, or is your plot fortunately bindweed-free? Let me know, via the comments.