Topic: Rotovating Couch Grass

[villagedefender]

I know many of you have discussed this before, but couch grass is really the bain of my life. I have a bad back, so can't dig, don't want to spray, don't mind weed supressing fabric.

Has anyone ever rotovated and cleared an allotment of couch grass, by waiting until it has set shoots, the repeating the process, again and again, until the couch grass has been exhausted?

See this link http://www.holland-brand.co.uk/rotovate/rotovating.htm

James

[Nigella]

Not personally - but the lottie next to ours had that exact treatment. I think it was rotavated 3 times over about 3 months (in spring). Everything that was planted looks to be growing well - and not to much regrowth of weeds.

We have only dug approx 1/3 of our new lottie - back - breaking with fork / spade. Think we will rotatvate the rest over the summer - in monthly intervals - as it seemed to work for our lottie neighbour.

Can't be bad  ;D

[Merry Tiller]

I have done it and I can assure you that it works fairly well, still have to dig out the odd dock or bit of couch but it's easy when it's only a bit here & there

[RobinOfTheHood]

I have done it and I can assure you that it works fairly well, still have to dig out the odd dock or bit of couch but it's easy when it's only a bit here & there

I'll second that.

[redimp]

Right - after all my negative posts about rotovators on other posts, I am starting to get a little bit interested.  They still carve up all the worms with the weeds though don't they?

[Sprout]

That's great if it works. I've still got loads of couch infested ground to dig over and prepare for next year and wasn't looking forward to digging it all over by hand. Did try it on one bed though: rotavated it once then sowed green manure seeds. Seeds have germinated ok but the couch has come back strongly in amongst the clover and phacelia. Def need to rotavate more than once.

[Merry Tiller]

Redclanger,

Rotorvating will chop up SOME of the worms for sure but so will digging with a spade for that matter. If you're rotorvating to destroy couch it's better to do this from June until August, hopefully these are dry months and the worms go deep to find moisture

Sprout,

You must rotorvate at least 3 times, after the first time wait for the couch to start showing through again and hit it before it starts storing nutrients in it's roots, and so on another 2 or 3 times. Rotorvating couch just once will make the problem far worse