Allotments 4 All

I want to leave paths between my beds so I can get to everything easier.

I was going to risk leaving the paths as the are, i.e. couch grass. I am sure this is asking for trouble!

Does anyone have any suggestions?

I was contemplating paving stones but I can't afford it right now, and can't find and free ones locally.

Couch grass paths are fine - I've been happy with them.  There's a little bit extra work involved in cutting the grass occasionally, and "re-edging" with a spade to cut off adventurous roots a couple of times a year - but it's not a lot.

(And the slugs like to hide and lay their eggs in the edges - so I know EXACTLY where to find them ;D;D )

All best - Gavin

Hi
I too was also wondering about leaving couch grass paths in, won't the roots spread into the beds?
Ive dug lots up to make a huge bed but should I dig it all up and risk losing some established things, there are some nice raspberries along one end all overflowing with couch, would I have to lose these as well.
Melanie ???

Gavin glad it sounds ok! *phew!*
Melanie, good luck whatever you decide to do (I have no idea whats best - but don't like the sound of having to lose raspberries!) :)

I agree with Gavin. I also have couch grass paths and as long as they are edged with a trench the couch is quite easy to contain. As it tries to escape from the path it trails into the trench, and as long as you don't leave it long enough to root, it can just be snipped off. :)

Apple Dumpling
The trench sounds good, think I shall try that and see how it goes. I do't want to lose the raspberries either. Thanks.
Melanie

i'm all for not digging up couch grass unless i have to! i planned to leave it on the paths - didnt know slugs laid eggs though - not that i thought much about slugs reproducing until now.  i do know that in my "back passage" (5'x14' concrete back garden ;D) which is surrounded by (a)my kitchen (b) next doors extension and (c) a 8' wall i still seem to get slugs and snails - where the hell do they come from??

it probably wasn't couch grass but I saw an allotment the other day nicely laid out with beds and grass paths in between. it looked very neat and 'gardenlike'. I thought to myself - thats not a bad idea, only a bit of mowing involved and resticts soil maintainance to the beds rather than the whole allotment.

Couch might be another matter though might add to the weeding of the beds somewhat.

I'm going for a mix of low-maintenance grass seeds (slow growing type) and clover for my lottie paths. Hopefully all I'll have to do strim it once in a while. The clover should feed the grass and make some useful compost fodder. 

I've given my front lawn over to the clover as it was much more successfull than the grass - it looks lovely in bloom covered in happy, peaceful bees and only needs mowing once a month. It's now roughly 75% clover 25% grass and stays green all summer.

Melanie

I have the final section of my allotment to clear... its eight foot wide and twenty foot across... all waist high couch grass and raspberries.

I have almost finished lifting out the raspberries, picking out all the couch roots and replanting.

I then intend to treat the couch grass with Glyphosate a couple of times to kill it off then dig and plant.

I did this with another section last year which subsequently produced some excellent produce (runner beans, Tomatoes and courgettes)  whats more twelve months later its still couch free.

I don't like using chemical treatments as a general rule but this is so bad it would take years to clear

Derek

Derek
Should I only lift up the raspberries during the winter when they are dormant?
I may try lifting next winter when there is less to do as the allotment is new to me and there is tons to do to get enough room for planting things this 1st year. They will survive another season I'm sure full of couch.
Please let me know how the raspberries handle being moved and de couched.
Thanks
Melanie :)

Melanie

I started the move about three weeks ago and planted the first twenty foot row...they look to be sprouting from the base in spite of the drastic move.
Another row was replanted a week ago and yet another slightly smaller row last weekend...you can guess I do like raspberries.

I still have some more to lift and will plant as spares in case of losses.

In actual fact it wasn't too difficult a job, the couch roots pull out very easily without damaging the raspberry roots.

My experience with the couch grass last year was phenomenal.. the first treatment followed by a second after three weeks and the job was done. 

I have a colleague who has a degree in agriculture and pests who explained the workings of Gyphosate. It is absorbed through the foliage within twentyfour hours of application... its job is finished and it apparently then becomes inactive

I purchased the chemical through an agricultural supplier and five litres of concentrate was almost the same price as a large pack (about 1.5 litres) of Roundup from a garden centre plus its much stronger.

Derek

Forgot this bit - I've read that couch grass does not like being mowed at all, and now I have access to a mower!  So I've left my paths on the new plot wide enough for the mower! :)

The couch appears to die out, and is replaced by other grasses?

All best - Gavin

In case your reference doesn't mention the reason that mowing kills couch, Gavin, what you need to do is mow so often that there is no production of photosynthesised nutrients by the foliage. This starves the roots, eventually leading to death of the plant. You may need to mow twice a week during the summer and when you do mow you need to have the blades set to their lowest point. You are trying to duplicate the action of intensive grazing by sheep or goats, both of which are reputed to kill couch effectively, if not immediately- or borrow some animals?
Because the couch will die back slowly surrounding grasses will replace it. You may also find that there are annual or other perennial weed seeds whose germination has been inhibited by the couch that will grow out in it's place.