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What weed-white brittle roots

young codgeryoung codger Posts: 543
in The potting shed
This is a common garden weed but I don't know the name of it. I understand that if roots are chopped while digging the garden it multiplies.

What is it called?
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Posts

  • PerkiPerki Posts: 2,527
    Ground elder ? seeing the plant will make it easier to ID
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    Bindweed?

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • young codgeryoung codger Posts: 543
    I was expecting it to be identified easily, but my photo probably does not show enough definition. 

    I dug these roots up in January and took the photo. At the time there were no weeds growing on top due to time of year.

    It is growing in a dryish border at the base of Leylamdii.


  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    It could be either but some leaves would help.  Either way, dig it out with a fork rather than a spade so you do less chopping and thus fewer root divisions/cuttings.   Remove all the bits you find in the soil.  Under leylandii it can get very dry so I would also give the soil a good soak the evening before as that helps with the brittleness and soil texture.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • young codgeryoung codger Posts: 543
    I think it is Bindweed now you mention it, as it is like 2 shoots of string growing rampent and easy to pull out of the soil
  • young codgeryoung codger Posts: 543
    One good thing is that it is very easy to see in the soil which makes it easy to remove. 
  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,385
    But the bad thing (and it does look like convolvulus) is just a tiny piece left in the soil will regrow.  I'm currently digging over a 5x1m border which is infested with bindweed, ground elder, couch grass and, to top it off, riddled with honey fungus rhizomes coming in from a large ash tree stump next door!   The HF has killed 4 clematis and 3 hellebore hybrids over the last few years so all of the infected roots of those have to come out too.  No choice but to clear the soil completely of roots of any kind, so that's my Easter sorted! 😒
    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • young codgeryoung codger Posts: 543
    Your 5 X 1m border sounds like you have had to leave it while you were tending to miriad areas of the gaden and other jobs that take priority.

    The thing is Bob, we can only do one thing at a  time. I  am always playing catch up with the large garden. I do what I can, which is less than I could do nearly 30 years ago. 

    Whatever we manage to do is our little achievement. We are trying. Not in the pub or being a couch potato.
  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    I find I can fit in the couch potato reasonably well too😉
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,385
    Exactly correct, young codger!  I've been 'doing-up' several other borders first and knew this one would be a problem so left it for a couple of years or so (ground mostly covered with cyclamen neopolitanum, so wasn't an eyesore.)   I'm looking at it as an opportunity to try some new things - it's east-facing so not the easiest aspect.  It'll soon all be cleared though with a ton of well-rotted manure dug-in.  I know from experience that the HF won't like that. 😉 
    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
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