Digging it up is not ideal as each broken root will set up a new plant and the roots can go extremely deep indeed. Weed killer is the best way, Roundup is very effective but as it is a systemic weedkiller it will kill anything the root is in touch with so use with caution.

It will probably out live you no matter how hard you try. The best way is to move house and hope the new owners keep chickens. Sorry to be so negative but though you can control it much depends on where it comes from, ie next door.

That seems quite a drastic remedy Heron

Heron is right - there IS no real solution!

Dont give up. Keep chipping away at it and it will drastically reduce though never quite go!

I agree with janpled' keep a fork moveing and keep picking it out , carrie on growing your plants and if you carn't use the big fork keep the soil loose with a hand fork around the plant's,you will get on top of it sooner than you think, put your hoe away for a while use your fork.do not put your garden out of commition by useing weedkiler, growing crops in spite of it is what get's rid of it,

I think that you have to keep working on it to keep it under control. Use the border fork and the hand fork and, also, Roundup. With the Roundup, pour some into a bowl and wipe it onto the leaves of the bindweed with your gloved fingers. Don't spray it or you will hit everything else in the area. It may or may not go away but you will still be able to enjoy your garden. You could also follow part of Heron's suggestion and keep chickens!

One tip is to put canes into the borders or beds and train the bindweed up the canes - then it's much easier to use weedkiller without killing off your other plants near it.
If you are digging it out, try to follow the white roots as far back as you can - don't just pull the top growth off. DON'T compost it, either!

Very good points, Spritz.

Thanks, Bulbaholic - guess who suffers from bindweed! :-((((

when I bought my last house, I had a twenty foot hawthorn hedge dowe the drive and the rest of the garden then along the back it will give you some idear when I tell you that I could put five cars one behind the other on the drive and the rest of the garden was about four cars long, the whole of this was coverd in bind weed , arnt the flowers lovly, it took three years to clear it but when I left you could not finde a bit of root,,useing the methard I have mented, just do not put up with it there are not short cuts just get it out then get it out agine you will win in the end,