As Spring returns, so do our more pesky schoolyard weeds! This season, I’ll be highlighting the most common weeds we see causing big problems in schoolyards.

Up first: Bindweed

👎🌱 Bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis) 

How to Identify:

• White/pink trumpet-shaped flowers (flowers June-Sept)

• Arrowhead shaped leaves

• It spreads by root (carpet like white root system under the soil) and vines. Unwind from living trees and shrubs, trace to the root, and try to get out as much of the root system as possible. Try not to break the roots (this is very hard to avoid).

• This weed is very hard to eradicate—long-term smothering with cardboard or plastic is most effective. This is hard to do in schoolyards but if you have an area with a lot of bindweed, you could try to put down some cardboard and mulch on top of it, especially at the start of the growing season – April/May. (If you try let us know how this goes!)

• For most sites, it will just be about staying on top of it as it climbing shrubs, trees, and fences. It often comes up along the edges of a planting area. Mulch well after the first big weeding day.

• Frame it like a rescue mission! Kids can feel as real sense of accomplishment when they’ve freed a shrub from the grip of bindweed. Maybe a Most Wanted posted could be laminated near the garden..with some weeding instructions? Get schoolyard neighbors involved!

• Spread the word, not the vine! This plant is beautiful and so the flowers often fool people into keeping it around. Let your custodial engineer know that this plant can go.