Allotments 4 All

...we were to rotavate the top part of out lottie which is smothered with couch/cooch grass & then plant it all up with Tagetes Minuata (sp?).

Would that work?  ;D

If you want a mixed crop of tagetes and couch grass it probably would. ;D

But aren't those tagets supposed to suppress the couch greas?  ???

I believe they can have an effect but have never tried it myself.

http://www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk/chq.asp?Classid=33&Articleid=1107

The best time to control couch by digging is now before it starts to send out new rhizomes that break of easily.

Other than chemical control digging and removal by hand is the best control root.
HTH

Jerry

A serious reply now then Bun. Despite claims that Tagetes can have some effect on controlling couch grass almost nothing, chemicals or hand weeding is going to immediately control it when it has been broken into thousands of new, vigorous plants by rotovating.
As sandersj89 says, try digging by hand as soon as you can get on the ground and remove every piece you can find by hand prior to it springing into vigorous growth. After that hoe every shoot that you see as soon as you see it. If you are persistant it will eventually die. The alternatives are to use chemical controls or to cover the ground with black plastic or cardboard for two (three?) years.

One other method which was claimed to work, since you mention having a rotovator. Sadly I cannot find the post now, but it was claimed that by rotovating every fortnight through the summer eliminated the couch by preventing it re-establishing itself. Even if the couch is not completely eliminated, the ground would be so loose that it should be easy to remove the couch by fork and rake ...

Quote from: Curry on March 07, 2006, 14:17:23
One other method which was claimed to work, since you mention having a rotovator. Sadly I cannot find the post now, but it was claimed that by rotovating every fortnight through the summer eliminated the couch by preventing it re-establishing itself. Even if the couch is not completely eliminated, the ground would be so loose that it should be easy to remove the couch by fork and rake ...

There is an artical about this on HDRA, I think.

It says to till, then let the couch regrow to the four leaf stage and do it again, right through to summer, the rhizomes exhaust their stores.

I found Mexican Marigolds failed to germinate for me -might just have been a duff pack (or gardener).

I had my plot rotavated for me and I planted about half to rye grass. Six months later those areas are far easier to clear than any others, despite the roots being broken up. The rye seems to have prevented the couch from properly re-establishing; the ground is dead easy to work; and unlike the areas where I had black plastic down, the bindweed hasn't stood a chance.

Having said that I've only had the plot a short while and it's possible that the couch is lurking in tiny tiny bits ready to strangle my veg. I thought it was worth it, seeing as I didn't have a choice about the rotavation. It depends on how much time you have, I believe. If you don't have a lot, risk it.

I think the idea is that you direct sow seeds on top of the couch grass, rather than rotovating it..

Never tried it, though!
Melanie

Thanks guys, something to think about!  :)

I tried the rotavating again and again and it does work - you can still pick out the loose pieces of couch as you go though.