It depends on what kind they are. If it's a perennial bindweed they are next to impossible to get rid of. They have a long tuberous root and if it breaks off new plants just come up. I have a white flowered bindweed that grows up in my azaleas. The annual morning glories I plant that reseed are easy enough to just pull up.

Thank you Karyn1. Do you think they would be attractive enough to attempt training through a trellis? I am not certain, but believe they may be perennial. They return each summer with no encouragement from my end :o) Also, they have spread throughout the hosta bed. They seem incorrigible, but at the same time I'm impressed...

I guess that you could try. Personally I don't like the white bindweed that grows here because it's such a thug and grows rampant over my azaleas. I just pull up what I can when I see it. I can't get under the shrubs to get to the roots. There's plenty of beautiful non aggressive morning glories that can be trained on a trellis. If you can post a pic of the flower and foliage or even try pulling one up and seeing what the root structure looks like there's people that frequent this forum that will be able to give you a positive ID.

Thank you again. They have not appeared yet. And it will be sometime in my area before they bloom. I will have to give them a chance this time...just to see. I will post then with results and questions. I really appreciate your feedback!
-Kathleen

Hi Kathleen,

Post (or send me ) a photo of the leaves and I'll be able to let you know if you have the Calystegia sepium or another type of MG species...

The Calystegia sepium has not started to break the ground in my area yet and it does grow on the property that I reside on...

TTY,...

Ron

Ron you were who I was thinking of to ID the MG. I think the Calystegia sepium is the bindweed that's trying to overtake my azaleas. Since I can't reach the roots to dig them out I've even tried injecting the cut stems with a herbicide. Didn't work. They just keep growing back. Is there any way to get rid of them besides digging out every last piece of root?

Hello Ron,

I don't believe the vines appear for a few more weeks. As soon as they are long enough for a photo shoot, I'll send them your way.

Thank you both for your advice! Happy Gardening :o)

Karyn - I'm attaching a link to an older thread where soaking the upper parts of the plants in jars of herbicide worked...

There is also a thread where people shared various ideas about eradicating and / or controlling bindweed and offhand I wouldn't be able to state with any certainty as to whether everything that was shared on the threads was accurate or not...

dabbing method
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/natives/msg0608200221684.html

various
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/rmgard/msg0510060716313.html

Regarding the injection method :

You need a small needle, no bigger than a 20 gauge, preferably a 25.
Cut the stem short first, let its juices drain for a few minutes, then inject down into the cut...this injection should be done close to the roots rather than at the distal vegetative ends...

It IS tricky with the little stems.
wear a leather glove on your left hand so you don't stab yourself, lay the vine over your finger tips, steady with your thumb, and slide the needle with your right hand into the vine with the bevel facing up just like nurses would do to hit a vein.
Then you have to run the needle up into the stem a bit to open it up , then back up leaving an open pocket to inject the herbicide into so that from the open pocket area the herbicide can be gradually absorbed into the plants tissues.

I have a raw compilation of methods that have been used to control rapid spreading bindweeds but need to organize it at some point so it is more presentable...

There was a study that I read a few years ago that indicated that a particular extract of Calystegia sepium and Convolvulus arvensis had been effective at controlling the reproduction of mosquitoes and in inhibiting cancerous tumor growth but unfortunately I lost those particulars in a hard drive crash...to everything there is a purpose...

Hope that helps...

TTY,...

Ron

Here is a link that might be useful: Calystegia bindweed control by soaking in jars

Thanks for the links. I'll try soaking the tops. I had used a small gauge needle but likely didn't get all the cut shoots and the untreated stems continued growing. I wouldn't mind it if it wasn't so invasive. It has a pretty bloom but it gets way out of hand.

My strategy this year is to lay down newspaper (about 6 pages thick) before applying the mulch layer. I'm hoping to smother the little bastards. Wish me luck!