That was something else I have tried, as I looked again at the bottle of concentrates I have, one of Fertilome's products has triclopyr and another had dicamba along with the 2,4-d. As I am watching the backyard these past few days, it is all yellowing and the bindweed is slowly withering. This was the area that I hit with a concentrate of 2,4-d and metsulfuron methyl. I was told it may take time but would work. Our biggest problem in central and western Kansas is that the field bindweed has become resistant to glyphosate and 2,4-d. I guess just had to continue on it, but now it is trying to poke in where some has established, hopefully the bermuda will keep it down, plus I spot treat whenever I see them. Today I did spread Tall Fescue underneath my tree along with some bermuda though it likes sun better, but I have more of it than others. Prior to doing that I had spread phosphorous in the area I tore up, worked the soil with my weasel and gave it some water, then today sowed the seeds, and applied scotts liquid turf grower. This particular area I had already gotten the weeds to die off, and it was loaded with earthworms. It was tough to level out due to the steep grade between my house and my neighbor, we'll see how it turns out since it is a shady area.

Bindweed is not a trivial weed to get rid of. His approach may actually work but it would take an entire season to get it all out. Since his is an organic site you may not appreciate this suggestion. It involves RoundUp but you do not spray the entire site. You put some RoundUp (undiluted) into a baby food jar. Then dunk a sprig of bindweed into the RoundUp and leave it there for several days. Supposedly the RoundUp will kill all the roots attached to that one plant. Then move to some apparently healthy bindweed and continue the process. I have only read about this approach. I'm lucky to not have bindweed.

An interim update I mixed infected bindweed in several well established patches of bindweed. A couple along a fenceline. I also had a 20 X 30 patch of bindweed identified for this purpose. Fence it appeared that the mites were effective on 2 of 3 patches (this is not a science for an amateur. When I was collecting the stuff the guy tried to show me the difference between affected bindweed and normal bindweed. I could never tell the difference so I just collected as many plants as I could. I think most of it was affected to some degree but I dont know for sure.) On one of the fences I was trying to kill the bindweed that was competing with honeysuckle. It didnt seem to work. On general fences it seemed to work. Open patch I entwined the infected bindweed among the plants in the middle of the patch maybe a 5 X 5 area. I did not pay enough attention and in about 3 weeks there was nothing but dirt. I pulled a number of dead plants and moved them to another patch I had reserved for the purpose (mid august). I think the second group took but I really dont know. I will know next spring. The thing that surprised me was how quickly the one patch turned from vibrant plants to dirt. And how slowly the fence lines seemed to react. I think I will not know the full impact until late spring. If the dirt area stays dirt then there are clearly applications for this stuff. Beyond that time will tell. I dont think the mites will work on a healthy lawn because they dont move. They need to be someplace where some agent moves them or the plants touch. I dont even know if they will work in a suburban fence and I dont know if the one good kill I saw is permanent. I think they would be very effective in an orchard situation where there was a monoculture but I dont know if the kill is permanent. Ill know next year. I also dont know if I will have any infected bindweed to share until spring. I think my big patch is toast and I will see if the fence areas show signs of infestation. I wish I could say that I had mites to share and greater success but time will tell. I will keep the board informed.

Thanks for the input, lazy_gardens. After your suggestion, I went on to YouTube and examined some videos showing Buffalo and Blue Grama grasses as lawns. Apparently they require much less water, and that's a definite plus, but I can't say I care for how it looks. I wonder how good it would look well-manicured? I am pretty partial to an emerald-green fescue lawn. If worse comes to worst, I'd probably replace the grass with a different kind of garden altogether as opposed to replacing it with a grass that goes brown in the winter. But I appreciate the suggestion.