Trench Warfare?

[Barnowl]

Has anyone who is neighboured by weed infested wildernesses tried digging a trench round their beds to inhibit the encroachment of weeds like couch grass, bramble and bindweed that spread underground?

[Barnowl]

[caroline7758]

I'm thinking of doing this, but it's my pot that's weed-infested! :-[

[Good Gourd 2]

I do dig a 6" trench around my plot  and fill it with  bark chippings mainly to keep the weeds down, because all of our plots are surrounded with chicken wire and its a devil to weed.  I don`t think it keeps neighbours weeds out though they just fly about in the air.

[davyw1]

Couch Grass is not supposed to be able to cross the barrier of a six inch trench as it is not supposed to be rooted more than 6", but then the carrot fly is not supposed to fly higher than 18"

[Mr Smith]

My allotment being on a slight slope and at the bottom of the allotments did catch the run off from the next allotment  untill I dug a ten inch deep trench across the top, it also stopped alot of the rubbish coming over from the next plot :)

[ceres]

I have a 6-8" trench around my plot.  It works for me keeping the couch grass at bay.

[Barnowl]

Thanks - looks like the consensus is that it can help  :)

[1066]

Doh!!!  so that's what the gap between my plot and the paths is for! I just thought it was for me to trip up on! Unfortunately my trench is now full of weeds so I'll have to work on that as well. But it all sounds like common sense stuff to me.