Topic: Couch grass and fruit bushes question

[Cuke]

I've a couple of questions I'm hoping one of you clever people will be able to help with...

I have a corner of my plot that got overrun with couch grass last year, I've cleared it down to ground level and was planning on covering it with weed suppressing fabric and leaving it die out for a year (perhaps with the help of some Roundup before I cover it).

However, not wanting to lose a chunk of growing area completely I've had another thought...

If I dig and clear the horrible weed from a few small chunks inside the troubled area and plant some fruit bushes into the gaps I'm thinking I can then lay my fabric down, complete with holes for the bushes, and end up with some nice fruit bushes and clear the couch grass all at the same time.

My questions therefore are firstly does that sound like a good plan or is planting into small clear areas inside so much couch grass a bad idea? Secondly, is my thinking that I'll be able to just spray a little RoundUp on any bits of grass that appear from under the fabric and try to invade the fruit bushes nieve, will I risk damaging the bushes that way?

[Ant]

You could try planting turnips there. They are supposed to compete with/kill couch grass.

I haven't tried this but am going to give it a go where we have some couch  :)

[saddad]

If the couch does manage to get among the fruit bush roots you will never get it out without digging them up again...  :-X

[Barnowl]

If the couch does manage to get among the fruit bush roots you will never get it out without digging them up again...  :-X

Having cleared our plot the fruit bushes got infested by bindweed that had sneaked in from the next door plot. It's a bit of a nightmare.

[Cuke]

If the couch does manage to get among the fruit bush roots you will never get it out without digging them up again...  :-X

Having cleared our plot the fruit bushes got infested by bindweed that had sneaked in from the next door plot. It's a bit of a nightmare.

Hmmm kind of what I was woried about...

But, how about if I spray with something like Roundup before I cover it and then dose any bits of it that pop up around the bushes? Surely that will keep it at bay....

[Kea]

Don't spray when the fruit bushes have come into leaf and if you do spray don't cover the area up until the couch dies as the plant needs to be actively growing for Glyphosate to work.

[Tee Gee]

Firstly;

(perhaps with the help of some Roundup before I cover it).

The roundup won't work if you cover it! The plant has to photosynthesise (grow) to take up the weedkiller choose which type you use!

and leaving it die out for a year

Once applied it should work within a few weeks although with couch you may need to give it two or three application meaning 2/3 months.

And there is no point putting it on yet as it unlikely the couch is growing at this time ........watch for the new fresh growth then apply your first dose!

If I dig and clear the horrible weed from a few small chunks inside the troubled area and plant some fruit bushes into the gaps I'm thinking I can then lay my fabric down, complete with holes for the bushes, and end up with some nice fruit bushes and clear the couch grass all at the same time.

I think you are wasting your time here ( do I detect a glimmer of imatience?)

If you want to get your fruit bushes off to an early start try growing them in pots/buckets/ barrels anything until the ground is clear then transplant them.

Once that couch gets into yor root ball you will have the devils own job getting rid of it.

I'm afraid there is no "quick fix" with couch

My questions therefore are firstly does that sound like a good plan

No!

or is planting into small clear areas inside so much couch grass a bad idea?

Yes!

Secondly, is my thinking that I'll be able to just spray a little RoundUp on any bits of grass that appear from under the fabric and try to invade the fruit bushes

Its the roots of the couch that will invade the root system on your bushes and you won't see these.

will I risk damaging the bushes that way?

There a fair chance you will

Sorry I couldn't be the bearer of better news :'(

[Cuke]

Sorry I couldn't be the bearer of better news :'(

Ahhh well, it was a good plan in my head.. ;)

Guess I'll just do it the long/proper way instead. I like the idea of starting the bushes off in pots tho, that'll get things moving while the ground  is still getting de-couch'ed... :)

[Melbourne12]

Faced with a similar problem, we constructed some mini raised beds (about 50cm square) into which we planted the fruit bushes.  Obviously we cleared the couch from under the raised beds, but then simply used a strimmer to keep spaces between the beds clean.

I'd advise against Roundup between the bushes.  I'm a glyphosate fan, but in spite of the most careful application I managed to kill a couple of gooseberry bushes. So we stuck with the strimmer from then on.

We also tried weed suppressant fabric.  It stops much of the couch, although it still comes up around the edges.  But we also got invaded by bindweed which simply grew all over the fabric and rooted in every crevice it could find.