What do I do with my rooty soil?

[Chants Cottage]

As some of you will know, I'm really quite new to this growing veg lark and have only really grown things in pots before. I'm trying to prepare our veg patch for planting. The land is basically a square of tufty grass. I don't think anything else has been grown there, at least there's no evidence it's ever been a veg garden. We've mulched some of it with black plastic and manure. I've just started digging over one of the mulched strips. I daresay the mulching has broken down some of the grass but it is very rooty to a depth of four, five or six inches, more in some places. I'm going though it with a fork and trying to get rid of as many roots as possible. The heap of rejected sods and roots is growing alarmingly. Question is, what do I do with it all?? Is there any practical use for it or do I just dry it out and burn it? Any advice gratefully received...

[MKG]

Welcome to the main problem!!

You can burn it - and then scatter the results as a top dressing.

You can rot it - but you have to make sure that it's root-side up - and then use it as compost.

You can drown it - but then it will smell, although it makes good liquid manure.

Or you can, surreptitiously, throw it on your neighbour's garden. Not recommended.

Mike

[bill1953]

Or use it to make a sod hedge as a windbreak

[Chants Cottage]

Jolly good. I'll probably just heap it up and burn it... there's a funny lumpy useless corner next to the patch that's just asking to be filled up with roots. At least I can use the ashes. Thanks, chaps!

[Davie Crockett]

I had a similar problem with my allotment which had been left fallow for about 18 months before I got it...It was riddled with couch grass.

Having dealt with this nasty invasive stuff before, I opted to spray it with glyphosate last November. As it is systemic, it kills it down to the roots and you don't have to worry so much about leaving bits of it in the plot. (If you leave any untreated couch behind, you'll regret it!)
I'm now in the process of digging the remnants out with one of these: and I can't recommend them highly enough for this particular job!

Edit: I forgot to mention, dig a trench at least 6 inches deep around the perimeter of the plot as any couch hiding in the surrounding area will re-invade. As couch only grows in the top 4-6 inches of the soil, by maintaining a small trench you'll be able to cut off invaders as they emerge.

[Green Aura]

Or you could double dig your bed, lay the turfs upside down in the bottom and then backfill. It's hard work but your soil levels don't drop and it will compost down in situ.

[oldjerry]

GA,I've heard this so many times but never had the nerve to do it.I've seen couch roots in good soil well below a single spit depth,have you actually done it ?Does it work? It seems a big risk.

I know Black covering works up to a point,but with a really infested bit of ground,I'd reach for the Glyphosate,one off and start clean (use the agricultural stuff,not the dilute stuff from the garden centre).....reach for tin hat, as Mike would say....

[Chants Cottage]

Right, I am going to reveal the depth of my ignorance now. What is double digging?? Sorry. Also, if I did use glyphosate, how long would I have to wait before I could plant the things I did want in the beds?

Thank you all!

[Carltonian Man]

Interesting article about glyphosate here

[oldjerry]

I wasn't reaching for the tin hat for the sake of it!!!
I've seen this stuff before,and the advice wasn't given lightly.
It's sometimes the only thing that will REALLY eradicate couch etc and let people grow their own food.I know it's not great,and honestly respect where your coming from,but on balance,for me,it's like the internal combustion engine..a nightmare,but the only way I can get around.

[Green Aura]

GA,I've heard this so many times but never had the nerve to do it.I've seen couch roots in good soil well below a single spit depth,have you actually done it ?Does it work? It seems a big risk.

Er, sort of OJ.

Having read back what I'd written I've realised I missed a bit out. After laying the turf upside down in the bottom, we then put cardboard over it. Then put the soil back in.

Works like a dream but it won't stop anything creeping back in from the side. To help with that we buried the raised bed a few inches.

[Carltonian Man]

I wasn't reaching for the tin hat for the sake of it!!!

Apologies OJ, I wasn't having a pop at you (or anyone else), just thought it was an interesting article.

[oldjerry]

It was,and you shouldn't apologise,don't let my manner disguise my own doubts about the stuff.I'm sure couch has always been a problem,but past generations have had the time to control it through cultivation.

Could be worse though,could be marestail !!

[phil55494]

There is the chemical approach which we haven't tried using on our allotment but there are many times I've thought about it. What we are trying is keeping having a go at it. It's a long job and needs doing all the year round. The tool Davie Crockett showed is similar to one we use but ours is a much smaller hand tool that is able to get in and around plants and work the much finer roots.
The couch grass is slowly going away but we're now dealing with more sheep sorrel instead.

[Chants Cottage]

Well, I finished the first bed (and planted the first veg in there - Jerusalem artichokes - woohoo! No idea what they taste like, mind.), and started on my second. I have dug a trench, and will probably edge the beds with planks. I also have located a tool like the one you recommended, Davie C and it is coming in most handy. The grass and roots weren't that terrible, certainly not below about six inches and I'm pretty pleased with the result... actual real friable soil rather than the big wodge of clay I was expecting so I will probably just persevere digging it over (if I can actually move tomorrow) and then keep vigilant. Thanks for the advice everyone.