In 1976 Sheridan County landowners signed a petition to have field bindweed listed as a noxious weed in Sheridan County. By listing it as a

Field bindweed is a perennial forb, which came from Eurasia. The vine like stems grow from 1-6 feet long, with arrowhead shaped leaves. The white or sometimes pink flowers bloom from June through September, blooming in the morning, closing up in the afternoon. Bindweed spreads by seeds and rhizomes. The root growth underground is very extensive, with as much growth underground as there is above ground. This makes bindweed a tough perennial to kill.

Bindweed grows in lawns and gardens, on roadsides, waste areas, and in cultivated or uncultivated land. The EC-130 Guide for Weed Management in Nebraska offers several herbicide options for control. The key to controlling bindweed with herbicide is persistence; it will take several applications to control it.

Biological control of bindweed has been implemented in several areas in Sheridan County. The microscopic mites can deform the plant, prevent seeding, and the plants will turn yellow, wither and die. Unfortunately the mites do not move more than a few feet away, unless moved by mowing or by physically moving infested plant parts to other bindweed infested areas. For more information about bindweed mites, contact your local county weed superintendent.