One plant can produce up to 500 seeds. In the field, young plants seldom produce seed the first season. Root starch reserves are highest from mid-summer through early fall, but then decline rapidly with conversion to sugars. Root carbohydrates are lowest in mid-spring before flowers develop. Maximum translocation of carbohydrates from shoots to roots occurs from the bud to full flower stages.
Most new shoots appear in early spring.
Undisturbed patches can expand their radius up to 10 m per year. Root fragments as small as 5 cm can generate new shoots. Where practical, flooding fields with water to a depth of 15-25 cm for 60 to 90 days can effectively eliminate most field bindweed plants. Stems and leaf surfaces have a texture that is difficult to wet. The addition of a wetting agent to certain herbicides may make them more effective.