Bindweed

I’ve had a gentleman ask how you can get rid of bindweed in the garden, so I’ve written this post to show what possible controls there are out there to try on this menace of a weed.

Bindweed covers two varieties, the hedge bindweed (Calystegia sepium) and field bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis). Both wrap themselves around other plants and smother them in the process. The hedge bindweed has white trumpet shaped flowers and the field bindweed had smaller white or pink flowers.

Bindweed is a very problematic weed as it has a perennial root system which allows it to come back year after year, and even the smallest bit of root left in the ground can sprout a new plant. The extensive root system means that the plant can extend up to two metres above ground in a single season.

It is very difficult to remove bindweed from a plot of land using non-chemical methods but if you put the effort in, then you may see an improvement. As the roots are so extensive it is worth putting a physical barrier along fences and boundaries to stop it encroaching onto other land. It would need to be a vertical, solid barrier that reaches at least 45cm deep.

You can always dig the ground where you have found the bindweed and remove as much of the root as possible but in spring you will likely get more growing and will need to repeat the process.

You can also hoe the soil if digging would mean you disturbed other plant roots in the area. By doing so you would sever the weed at ground level but again this would need repeating as the weed will persist and come back again.

Should you wish to use a chemical method then Glyphosate will attack the weed by entering the foliage and would work its way down the plants’ system. As this chemical is a non-selective weed killer it is essential that you don’t spray neighbouring plants as it will kill these off too. The most effective time to spray the weed is when it has started flowering but can be effective in autumn too.

Information provided by www.rhs.org.uk

Welcome Fresher's!

Today marks the start of the Fresher's Fair at Headingley Campus. Cue lots of new students looking around in a dazed and confused yet excited manner. It's the beginning of three fantastic years as a student of Leeds Beckett University and taking part in all that we have to offer.

Here's the map of Headingley campus again should any students reading this blog need to know where their next lecture is :)

1: James Graham, 2: Student Hub/Refectory, 3: Caedmon, 4: Priestley, 5: Leighton, 6: Macaulay, 7: Bronte, 8: The Grange, 9: Cavendish, 10: Fairfax, 11: Design and Technology, 12-20: Carnegie, 21: The Cottage, 22: Churchwood, 23: North Lodge, 24: Carnegie Village, 25: Coach House, 26: Landscape Resource Centre and Experimental Gardens, 27: South Lodge, 28: Queenswood, 33: Changing Pavilion.

I hope that all the students new and old love the Headingley campus and what there is to see within the grounds on a day to day basis. Be it the wonderful wildlife we have or the bloomin' marvellous flowers in each border which add a dash of colour to their surroundings, especially in the spring and summer months.

At the moment we have a lot of greenery rather than flowers but this still adds a lot to the campus. The Phormium always look stunning any time of year and can be found in the borders of Cavendish, Fairfax, and outside the Carnegie gymnasium. The Lonicera at Carnegie has yellow leaves which adds a little bit of a different perspective to the border, and the Mahonia found outside the James Graham building has a stunning lime green shade. The Hydrangea's have all but finished flowering for the season now but there may still be the odd flower hanging on.

We have a few Hosta's dotted about campus and if the slugs haven't eaten all the leaves yet then it's worth keeping an eye out for them, especially at Churchwood. They have a lovely light green shade with really defined veins and with a white stripe running around the edge of the leaf. The Rowan trees dotted about campus are still looking brilliant with all the bright red berries ready and waiting for the birds.

I will keep you all updated on what else there is to look out for over the coming autumn and any projects we may be undertaking as the growing season slows down.



(Photos taken by myself, September 2016)

September Maintenance

What to do in your garden in September

 

·         Sow sweet peas in the greenhouse ready for next year

·         Sow hardy annuals in situ

·         Plant new perennials towards the end of September as the soil is still warm and moisture levels are increasing

·         Dead-head hanging baskets or if past their best then replant with winter bedding

·         Continue to dead-head Dahlia, roses, Delphiniums and Penstemons to prolong the display

·         Cut back perennials that are fading and dying down

·         Divide herbaceous perennials such as Crocosmia

·         Take cuttings of tender perennials such as Pelargonium and Osteospermum

·         Continue to take and store seed from perennials

·         Wait for the frost before lifting the tubers of Dahlias and Cannas

·         Late flowering tall perennials will need staking to prevent wind damage

·         Shrubs and trees can now be moved without worrying about their survival and establishment

·         Prune late-flowering shrubs such as Helianthemum

·         Prune climbing roses once they have finished flowering

·         Clear dead leaves promptly once they start to fall

·         Fill gaps in your borders with autumn flowering plants to extend the colourful season

·         Plant Hyacinth and Amaryllis bulbs for forcing in time for Christmas presents

·         Plant spring flowering bulbs such as daffodils and crocus now

·         Keep Camellias and Rhododendrons well watered to ensure next year’s buds develop well

  

Information provided by www.thompson-morgan.com and www.rhs.org.uk