Hi, I can't think of any other way, other than traci g it back to the root and digging out, not guaranteed to work, but it's better than just pulling at it, that only breaks the stem, the remainder just sends more shoots out, so best to dig as much root out as you can, Derek.

Bit of a challenge if it is coming from a neighbour's garden to be honest. Digging up or pulling out are the only solutions.

if it has only just arrived it is not an established weed yet so by keeping it dug out should control it. The naughty side of me says that he should dig in his side of the fence and spray over it on the neighbours side!!!!!!!

I had ground elder coming under a fence from a neighbour. I dug it all out, then used weed killer along the fence line, then lined the ground my side of the fence with black mesh and covered it with a heavy coat of shingle to make a thin path. It took a while but has worked so far.

Bindweed can be a bit of a nuisance once it gets a hold. You can use a systemic weed killer and spray it a few times at regular intervals just to make sure.

Alternatively, if he wants you to tell him how to deal with it organically, then tell him to use a flame thrower, that's about as organic as you can get.

Fork the ground over carefully so as not to break the roots, remove every part of the root he finds, then dig down and insert a root rhizome barrier vertically to a depth of at least 18 inches to try to keep the neighbour's invasion at bay, replace the soil. Otherwise its pull, pull, pull - but only if the soil is light and friable, or it just breaks.

Don't want to depress you but the roots are very brittle and go down very deep. No wonder they are called "devil's guts". If you give up on organic another suggestion is to let them grow and train them up canes. When there is quite a lot of top growth lay the canes flat, protect any surrounding plants and spray with systemic weedkiller. Even this way it can take several years.

Aarrgghh!! I was afraid of that. It is a serious temptation, Bulba, but the police in Scottsdale, where he lives, are apt to serve me some instant karma for that! :)
Sadly, Steragram, I have to stay organic--the beneficiary of this garden is house bound, and needs a diet without toxins. Ah, well, I am at the age of "use it, or lose it", so the extra exercise will be good for me. Thank you all!!

Tug you should be able to do it without contaminating anything else if you spread plastic underneath before you spray and keep the spray nozzle very close to the plant on a still day?

Steragram, I will probably do that in the long run.
In the mean time, I am trying out an orange oil based product, and will let you all know the results.

Good luck Tugb!

If you can find a way of doing it you will be a public benfactor! Let us know how the orange oil works.

Bad news, folks. The product turned the bindweed leaves grayish and distorted for a few days, then it resumed normal (rampant!) growth. :( Highly effective on annual weeds, but I usually just pull them, anyway. Ah, well!

Hi Tug, thanks for letting us know, even if it is bad news, Derek.

I couldn't really see how orange oil would kill plants?

Ach weil

Deb SEX PEST? Really???! Your comment is ill informed, ill advised, unnecessary and extra to requirements. The name you have chosen for yourself does not inspire confidence....

Its a good thing this is an old question and this reply is most unlikely to be seen by the questioner. This kind of comment is unwelcome, unjustified and ignorant.

Unfortunately Tug will see Stera just as we did

I don't reckon Tug will let this keep him awake at night...!

I sure hope not he is a great and knowledgable guy...

Sorry it's been so long, but my internet access has gone pear-shaped the last few months. I didn't even see the question in question, and from the sound of it, I don't want to! Well, the problem is now "solved"--my friend decided that the garden was more trouble than it was worth. We are now looking for "zeroscape" plants to distract from an empty raised bed! :)