couch grass

[sleepyowl]

I'm taking on a veg plot this year that will give us more veg than our back garden ever could, only it is covered in couch grass, I think I already know the answer is no butit there any way easy way of getting rid of couch grass?

[grahamhobbs]

As you are asking the question hopefully we can take that you don't wish to douse your plot in chemicals, then there a number of approaches to eliminating couch grass depending on how long you want to take to get rid of it.

1. You can cover the soil so that nothing can grow underneath. You can use Mypek, non-clear polythene (needs weighing down and covering from sunlight), or carpets (allough main contain nasty chemicals), etc. You will probably need to keep the soil covered for 2 mgrowing seasons and then there will probably be bindweed growing underneath.

2. You can mulch the soil. Similar to above but using organic materials such as cardboard, manure, shredded tree prunings, etc. But this needs to be a good 6" thick. Some weeds will still come up through this, but they will be easy to hoe off and gradually the roots will find their way up into the mulch and you will find it easy to dig them out. You will be able to plant into this mulch but obviously you will not be able to sow seeds or plant very small seedlings.

3. The above methods are suitable for areas that you want to bring into cultivation more slowly. If you want to start growing immediately then there is little alternative to digging out the roots of the couch grass, and you need to do this thoroughly. There are several important points in doing this, firstly skim off the top inch of soil and roots, then choose your moment - in winter the soil can be too claggy and wet and you will struggle to seperate the roots from the soil, wait until the soil has dried a bit so that when you dig with a fork and shake the fork the roots seperate from the soil easily - timing is very important, not too wet not too dry. It is even better if you can fork over the soil and let a really hard frost break the soil into small crumbs and then before some rain sends it back into a claggy mess, you can almost rake out the roots with a fork, although remember that the roots will go down a good 8" or more. The essential thing is to try to get as much of the roots out as possible, but when the grass shoots reappear, as they inevitably will, that you continue to dig them out. It is then wise to plant out strong crops, such as potatoes, that will compete against the grass and between which you can get easily to dig or hoe.

[sleepyowl]

I seriously don't want to douse the area with chemicals, as I thought is the hard way or no way

[dave45]

No easy way that I know of. And once you clear it all out the hard way, if you leave it one season you will be back where you started from. Evil stuff !

There is a certain time of year when it send out vigorous white shoots to expand its space. Watch out for these and nail them.

[phil55494]

Pull out as much of the root as possible, it will grow back from the smallest bit of root left in the ground. Hard work over several seasons will get it out of your veg patches, the hardest work is when you initially clear them and then the first season pulling it out when it comes back. Over time it gets easier (not sure if that is from experience or more in hope as our allotment is covered in the stuff). Keeping any grasped areas around the beds well mown will help reduce the vigour of any couch grass left at the sides.

[grahamhobbs]

I forgot there is a 4th option, we've had cover, mulch and dig out roots, but there is also mowing. If you can't manage the whole plot with the first 3 alternatives, then mow the stuff, and keep mowing. Couch grass does not like mowing and will slowly give up in favour of finer grasses. The advantage in this is firstly you will have a patch to invite friends to share a beer and admire your work, secondly slugs like long grass but not mown so your crops will be less troubled, and finally in a couple of years when you get round to digging this part you will have less couch grass roots to get rid of.

[Cassiepod]

Once you do start clearing an area, make sure you edge your cleared area to help stop the couch grass and any other weeds re-encroaching. Even if they do start goring over you the edging can see them and catch them more easily than with no boundary.
Cassie

[Mal]

My mum always says 'never let it see a Sunday' for both Couch grass and Bindweed; on further discussions we established that a general weekly weeding was okay, and it wasn't specifically Sundays that had to be avoided!

Once you do start clearing an area, make sure you edge your cleared area to help stop the couch grass and any other weeds re-encroaching. Even if they do start goring over you the edging can see them and catch them more easily than with no boundary

Agree with that - it's one of the reasons we're on raised beds at the allotment - if the beds are clear and you can keep the paths free, you can stop the spread quite efficiently. I say 'if' - we're not in this enviable position at the moment!

[grahamhobbs]

........... - it's one of the reasons we're on raised beds at the allotment - if the beds are clear and you can keep the paths free, you can stop the spread quite efficiently. I say 'if' - we're not in this enviable position at the moment!

You'll be a better person than me if can keep your paths clear (unless you've got them covered or well mulched), easy this time of year but not in summer when you are rushing to keep up with everything else. My experience is that raised beds can cause more trouble than they are worth - after many years of experiment, no-dig beds combined with well mown and edged (with a quick spade) paths are the easiest.

[Flo]

If anyone can beat couch grass without a strong dose of roundup or other glycosulphate weedkiller they are a better gardener than me. I will dig thoroughly but in the height of the growing season, the odd spray can is seen. I've got couch and creeping buttercups which get treated to a pint once a year. Keeps things in hand.

I grow vegetables and food on my allotment with minimum chemical input but if the weeds are defiant then a spray can has its place.