Is your garden being taken over by bindweed? This garden expert has a simple, chemical-free solution to keep it under control

Plant growth in the garden is usually something we celebrate; however, when it comes to stubborn weeds and invasive plants, their growth is seriously unwelcome. And bindweed is no exception.

Figuring out how to get rid of weeds in your garden is a pretty universal experience, and one most homeowners absolutely dread doing each season. The task is only made worse when the stubborn plants refuse to stop popping up and not even the best essential gardening tool can remove them in time.

One of these rather unrelenting weeds is bindweed, and whilst it's not too bad to look at, it does take over plots rather quickly. Which is why when we saw garden design expert and influencer Ish had shared his method for removing the weed, we just had to share.

Whether you're participating in the rewilding trend or simply prefer using less chemicals in your garden, finding natural ways to remove weeds is the most beneficial for your plants.

It's also the exact method that Ish recommends for bindweed.

"Bindweed has become this notorious problem in my garden for the last few years, and despite all the tips and tricks that I've been testing and trying, every year it still comes back just as vigorous. But it's being reduced even more every year, and do you know how I'm doing it?" asks Ish.

"It's not any chemicals, not any special bag treatments that we tried in the past, it's good old fashioned digging up and weakening it," he continues.

That's right, no more waiting until winter hoping the frost will kill your weeds, unfortunately a little elbow grease is required for the best results.

"The thing is with bindweed, if you keep pulling it from the ground, you're slowly weakening it. It's not getting the sunlight it needs and the nutrition as a result, it will start to die down and also the other thing you can do is starve it of light even more by planting really dense foliage plants," Ish adds.

"So, for example, this salvia here and the pensman behind me create a nice big filler in the herbaceous border. And as a result, the light isn't getting to the bottom and even though there is still some bindweed that has to be tackled, it's a lot less than it was the last few years," Ish explains.

Similar to companion planting, calling on Mother Nature to help you eradicate a pest, whether it's a weed or an insect, is gardening magic at its finest.

"Another thing to look out for is bindweed when it's flowering because that's actually when it's at its most vulnerable. It's put all the energy right into this flower; it's not really focusing on the growth. So when you really pull that up, you actually stress it out massively, which just slows it down a little more," he continues.

"So, the real trick to getting rid of bindweed is starving it of light and constantly getting on top of it. It feels laborious, and you may have to do it once a week, but it'll be worth it in the end," Ish finishes.

No more need for worrying about when to spray the weed killer or accidentally drenching your favourite late summer flowers in chemicals. Just some gardening gloves and a little effort are all you need.

Knowing what the most common invasive plants look like can save you a real headache when it comes to removing them. Acting fast will stop them from spreading further and mean your favourite flower beds aren't invaded by weeds.