Topic: couch grass again

[aquilegia]

Argh.

Doing a bit of weeding yesterday, I noticed some grass growing up amongst my violets. On closer inspection, it turns out to be the dreaded couch.

It's all growing up through these violets, just a small clump, so I want to get rid of it before it spreads everywhere. But I want to keep the violets (family heirloom - very old victorian variety from Gran's garden).

When would be the best time to dig them up, tease out the couch roots and then replant the violets?

Or would it be better to take cuttings and ditch the rest of the plant? if so - when?

[john_miller]

I would do it at this time of year ,whenever the weather is open. What I would do is take some cuttings, first then dig up the plant, get out as many of the the rhizomes as you can (if the rootball isn't too badly infested the rhizomes can be gently pulled backwards. In a friable soil they should come out complete) and then pot up or heel in the plant. This will leave you two sources of the plant- have you done cuttings before? I would then wait until the summer before replanting to give any remaining couch enough time to regenerate so that it can be cleared without having to dig up the Viola repeatedly- now is the best time of year, from the point of view of couch, to replant it too!

[Carrie]

On a slightly lighter note - there is a website (www.blessedherbs.com) selling couch grass rhizomes for $16.50 a lb - not quite sure for what medicinal purpose. Perhaps all of us who are afflicted should form a co-operative and ship the damned stuff over to them - I must have dug out about $200 worth yesterday at my allotment - and still yards to go!! ???

[john_miller]

Marketing opportunities: The dried rhizomes, which apparently taste of liquorice, make great flour.
Horses, cows and pigs love the foliage.
From Mrs. Grieves great herbal: "Also called Dogsgrass as this is the grass dogs seek out to make them vomit.... (For humans) Used as a herb with diuretic properties and a demulcent, much used in cystitis and catarrhal diseases of the bladder (whatever they are). It palliates irritation of the urinary passages and gives relief in cases of gravel.
We could all be millionares soon!

[NattyEm]

wow, we have tons of the stuff!  We should try ebaying it!!

Incedently, is couch pronounced like the type of chair or like cooch?

[aquilegia]

That's what I always wanted to know Nattyem.

THanks John - I have taken cuttings before, although not always successfully! Unfortunately my soil is far from friable - heavy London clay. yuck. I shall give it a go if weather permits this weekend.

[john_miller]

I have never heard it pronounced anyway other than 'cooch'. Doesn't mean it isn't pronounced the other way though!
I hope I'm not being too overbearing Aqui but if you do lift the plant only grab it by the roots- they have remarkably weak unions between the roots and stems and will readily break if you hold the plant by the stems/leaves (I've lost count of how many I've broken!).

[faerie9]

Good luck getting rid of it :)

I begun digging over my new plot today - for years it has just been grass. As I begun digging - yes, its couch  :'(
So I have skimmed the surface taking all the main roots with.
But as I started digging the soil over (which is rubbish soil!) I came across so many more thin roots (which you all know about but I've not had this problem before!!). No way can I get all those roots out and I don't believe in roundup.
I have a lot of good soil which I am moving over to the new patch, and I am putting it on the top to create a  raised bed. I'm then going to mulch.

What are my chances against this foul fiend? Please tell me it will be ok!!!

(sorry to hijack the thread but it seemed silly to start a new Couch Grass thread when there are already a few!)

[sandersj89]

Youi may be OK, good time of the year to deal with couch and it also does not like being burried, so building a rasied bed ontop of it might help knock it back.

Jerry

[faerie9]

Woohoo!!!!!!!!!!

does a happy dance  ;D ;D ;D
The bad bit is that I have *A LOT* to shift, and not a lot of time, lol

[Jesse]

Horses, cows and pigs love the foliage.

Hmmm, wonder if my hens would like eating the rhizomes? Maybe it's time to take them on a mini holiday to the allotment.