Raised bed suggestion?

[timelady]

Throwing out an idea, hoping you'll all have tips. :)

It's so dry that at the moment instead of digging a particular single long bed I thought I could pile some couch-grass dirt (getting out as much grass roots as possible) on top and do a raised bed type thing. (covering couch grass growing underneath) If I did this and covered the raised dirt with black bin bags or something, could you suggest what might grow best? I'm thinking growing through holes in the plastic? Hope that makes some sense anyway, but I'm not really sure what I'm doing.

There's just still so much to dig on the whole plot anyway I thought perhaps I could get something planted in the meantime to make use of that stretch of ground. :)

Other ideas gratefully accepted too.

Tina.

[timelady]

[Tee Gee]

I certainly wouldn't put 'couch grass' back in the plot council tip for me!!

Plus I think you would be creating the ideal environment for the 'couch' to develop rather than die.

This is just an opinion perhaps the other will have something else to offer!

[manicscousers]

we covered the dense weeds on our plot, including mare's tail and couch, with thick cardboard, covered with about 8 to 10 inches of rotted muck and planted in to the bed..the cardboard rotted over winter and we have lovely soil,  :)..don't know if it helps
we also cover a bed with heavy black plastic, cut holes in it , put a tyre on, fill with good soil, plant a squash or courgette ..bit off the wall but that's us  :)

[tim]

Another opinion.

Hiding couch, short term, can only bring long term misery?

[manicscousers]

well, 2 years, very little's come back..only around the edges of the paths..we can't dig so have to look for ways around it  :)

[allaboutliverpool]

Dig the couch grass out and compost it, I have proved it can be done, see

http://www.allaboutliverpool.com/allaboutallotments_compost.html

Start digging and make your first bed and plant small rows of different things, radishes, lettuce, turnip, beetroot, french beans. They are all fast growing and will give you a great thrill as you dig further beds. See my experience on:-

http://www.allaboutliverpool.com/allaboutallotments2_my_allotment_in_liverpool.html

Hints on how to build raised beds are on :-

http://www.allaboutliverpool.com/allaboutallotments_Deep_bed_building.html

[SMP1704]

Timelady

When you say long beds - how long?

To make the baked clay soil easier to dig, soak an area with a couple of cans of water, then cover with black plastic.  In a day or so, it will be much more workable for digging and couch removal.  As a bonus, the slugs will have moved in, so you get stress therapy for free as you squish them ;D

Like most others I would steer away from using couch soil for a raised bed.  It is capable of piercing plastic, so unless you have a really thick layer of cardboard/soil/manure to cover it, the weeds will ignore your efforts to suppress them.

When I asked how long is your long bed - I was thinking that maybe if you made the beds smaller, it would all seem a bit more achievable.  Same approach as starting your own business ;)

Not the answers you were hoping for but a lot less grief in the long run...........there again there's always the last resort - Roundup :o

[Robert_Brenchley]

I've composted couch by the ton, literally. just pile it up and cover it for a year, it couldn't be simpler.

[timelady]

Thanks all. I do have a big pile of couch sitting covered in a corner, hopefully rotting away. I am digging elsewhere, not huge rows, maybe 3 metres? Plus little small square patches. There is no order or plan on my plot. ;) I'm trying to dig a bit then get a bit planted in the newly dug spot. Since I'm just growing for myself so far the 'rows' are half one thing half another. I'm not so worried about quantity this year. I just thought it'd be nice to get something in an 'easy' raised bed if that were do-able, because I have so much space, while I concentrating on digging elsewhere.

Thanks for the tip about water - that's a good idea! Since my plot is clay I'm reallising there's been no middle-ground (so to speak) - I've had the really wet winter for heavy digging or this really dry spring where it's like rock! ;D

Roundup is tempting! But no... I have decided to use chemicals on the bramble roots though. That's a whole other part of the plot though... Thanks anyway - not the news I'd like but that's okay! That's why I asked. I gotta learn.

Tina.

[emmy1978]

Isn't it terrible trying to work out what to do with the evil stuff? mine is currently the 'heap'. was going to tip it but am following Robert's advice and am going to cover it and forget about it!
Opinions are divided on the site. The Rotavator thinks i should bury it as timelady suggests, but the Major thinks i am dead right clearing it and thinks i should tip it.
Joe (Irish, "some of them on here are alroight but some of them are total fec*ers") says "for gads sake, it'll be foine just loike dat".
Now you see why i come here for my advice!  ;D