I've just read that sowing turnips lavishly on top of couch grass eradicates the beastly stuff. Anyone ever tried this?
Something I may just have to try!
Melanie
I think Grawrc wrote about this not long ago (I'll have a look) and yes I think she said it worked well.
Sorry, it wasn't who I thought it was, but try these threads:
http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,15868.0.html
http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,11946.0.html
They both mention it with answers by those who've tried it
Evidence that the collective knowledge of this website is better than Google? That is something for Dan to feel smug about !
Oh, never mind then. Must've missed that thread.
Turnips, here we come!
Melanie
Wisnae me! But sounds like a good idea. Most things Jennym recommends semm to be. I'm going to give it a go. Thinks: mmm (smugly) might have to grow some couch grass first. Only joking (narrowly misses the spades and forks flying in her direction).
What is couch grass?Ha ha ha
Just like a couch potato its difficult to shift ;D
:-[
Come on over to my plot, can show you loads!!!
You can all have cuttings if you like!!
;D
Here's a post that I did recently on the subject:
http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/joomla/component/option,com_smf/Itemid,28/topic,16274.msg167292#msg167292
Jenny I know this is off topic but how do you remember where all these interesting posts are?
I never called this couch grass (albeit it's the correct name) until joining this site ..Locally its callled twitch grass..So I googled Twitch grass . Heres the other names for it ..... Couch Grass ...Also Known as: Quack Grass, Twitch Grass, Quick Grass, Scutch Grass, Wheat Grass, Devil's Grass ... The last name seems the most appropriate... I nail it with glyphospate in the spring ... But am told if you keep rotovating it for a season .it will give up and die...Cheers ..Jim
I can think of a few more names for it Growmore, like :-X :-X :-X :-X Must remember it's a family site ;D ;D
I remember someone posting that you could smother it with the poached egg plant Limananthes Douglasii, which I'll try this year as I'm not keen on turnip :P
Definitely looking forward to putting turnips into action!! ;D
Which is best ? Broadcast or in lines? :-\
Have just been reading jennym's post (from quoted thread above) definitely broadcast, dig in and repeat!
Devil's grass is right, the first allotment I took was riddled with the stuff and it's been a constant battle against it ever since. The tiniest little bit of root will grow a new plant. >:(
I don't use weedkiller but I've tried everything else. At the moment most of that allotment's swaddled in black plastic. It might be worth sacrificing the space to get rid of the grass (we don't eat many turnips).
One of the local names here probably won't get thorugh the filterbut hopefully it will swap it so you know what I mean: bastard grass.
I managed (accidentally) to smother the couch by sowing rye grass after the ground had been rotavated. Digging it over shows a startling difference. Where I'd overwintered with black plastic the bindweed just took over, but the rye grass seemed to smother nearly all the perennials.
I was given Steve Brookes's book 'Greatest Gardening Tips In The World' for Christmas and he reckons tomato plants have the same effect.
Going to try a patch on an unplasticated (oh dear) bit of my new lottie.