Topic: Couch Grass and Roundup

[Robert_Brenchley]

I just dig mine out every time I take a crop. After the first couple of goings over, it becomes quite quick to dig out the few remaining roots, and there are fewer every time.

[wardy]

You know that I do the black placcy sheet mulch thing over cardboard.  Well the spud bed was a great success and loads of spuds off the manure.  The cardboard rotted away and the soil looks good once the plastic had been taken off and the bed looked lovely and dark and weed free.  Oh no it isn't.  There's couch coming up right left and centre.  So they were only having a snooze under that warm dark blanket  ;D  The cardboard did keep them at bay though and no couch came up into my spuds so it's either cover it up again and grow through sheet mulch or go over it by hand and pull the couch out.  Eeeny meeny .........  ;D

[busy_lizzie]

Almost half of our plot was covered in thick couch grass when we took it over, and as we didn't want to use any chemicals we covered areas over and then when it was weakened we dug it out as best we could.  Two years on we have only a minimal area at the back now with couch grass.  I am a great believer in getting something planted in as soon as you have a place clear, it doesn't matter if  you still get pockets of it, you will gradually get shot of it the more it is cultivated.  :) busy_lizzie

[suzylou]

My new lottie is also covered in couch....I've been doing a mixture of no-dig and dug beds, but I've been leaving grass on the paths in between the beds.  Is this a huge mistake?

[Robert_Brenchley]

It can be since the couch will survive in the paths if you're not very careful. There's an old grass path down the centre of my plot which has always been the main reservoir of the stuff. I'm gradually getting rid of it and replacing it with a brick path, but as I have to scavenge the bricks it's taking years. either keep the grass well mowed, or get rid of it and start over from seed.