Hi

[mrgrower]

Hi! Just wanted to introduce myself.

mrgrower is the user name and I have just taken on a rather neglected allotment in North East Manchester. As normal it's nice and rainy alot of the time

Ok I have got the usual clearing underway which isn't to bad as there isn't to many bricks etc below the soil. The soil holds alot of water due to high clay which has resulted in the need to also dig trenches but it looks like the order of the day will be to add a fair amount of sand ad compost.

My main problem is the dreaded Couch Grass There is that much of it that I would have to spend every day for a year sifting through by hand to get the roots time I cannot give due to work. I have decided to cover one area and concentrate on two smaller areas at the moment what can I order online weed killer that can be used to kill of the couch grass roots? But also allow me to get some spuds down this year.

This is my first allotment or Communal Growing Area as it's called ( Which means I only have to pay £10 per year to cover membership / insurance rather than the £56 it was going to cost before they re designated it. Don't know what that does for long term security as I have not had a contract.

Anyway I'm looking forwards to the challenge ahead and hope to get lots of advice from the people here.

I will get some pictures up soon.

Mr Grower

[alldigging]

Oo Hello! NE Manchester is right next to Southest Chadderton where I am!

Couch grass is hard work! Have some in my plot still but will get rid of it all eventually.

[VirginVegGrower]

Hi there and welcome. Rather than use weedkiller we dug out by hand our couch. It was like long strings of never ending spaghetti. Finally after three years of pulling it - we now have raised beds, which has helped and now we don't dig, we mulch - it's weakening considerably. We only have odd tufts. I have heard turnips stop it in its tracks but haven't tried that out yet

[Bren In Pots]

Hello and welcome to the vine mrgrower

[vikkib]

Welcome to the Vine Mrgrower!

[mrgrower]

I got my allotment in November 2012 but due to politics and the wheels turning slow I didn't actually take hold of my key till the second week in Jan 2013 this has obviously put my plans back as I'd hoped to have got stuff underway last year.

We back onto a railway line so as usual we have the usual overgrow of brambles as the allotment has been left there is a lot of stuff that has been available to scavenge in order to erect a barrier fence along the chain link fence where the brambles poke and weave through like alien tentacles searching for a suitable host to attach to

I started by digging through the Couch Grass and even made the mistake of trying to rotavate it, but am now using a garden fork to dig it which seems a better choice in making the first dent in the battle against it.

As it's been raining and times against me the roots are exposed but the area is to wet to be kneeling and picking, plus it's been the usual ok I need to do this that this the other etc etc. Anyway what am I telling you lot for? You have probably already been there haha.

The one good thing is I watched a guy on Youtube called Rick who got an allotment last year and his video diary gave me one important kick and kept me on track ( Don't try to do it all at once ) Hence the reason I have covered one area and am concentrating on two beds this part of the year.

I'm not expecting to get much veg planted this year in fact all I have are some seed potatoes that I can hopefully get in I have also made some good use of 4 discarded baths at the allotment. I put drainage holes in, filled with compost mix and planted blackberry and Tayberry with some strawberries to. I replanted 3 fruit trees that had been planted on a derelict plot as I am a big believer in waste not want not.

I have some stuff planed for my home garden this year so that will help and, anyway; YEP! that's about it at the moment .

Mr Grower

[mrgrower]

How rude of me Hi you guys and girls nice to be here and lets hope you lot can keep me on the right path.

Mr Grower

[veggiechicken]

Hello Mr G and welcome from me! There is absolutely no chance of my keeping you on the right path - I'm on a permanent tangent from wherever I'm supposed to be Makes life more interesting that way

[Glutton4...]

Hello, and welcome to the Madhouse!

[Aberdeenplotter]

and from me

[Bigmallly]

Welcome from me..........follow VC's path & you won't go far wrong..............in fact there is no say how far you will go, or where you may end up..........

[RedThorn]

ditto what G4 said

[kathycam]

Hi and welcome. I'm also battling against the couch grass, I dug a trench along the side of my path the other day and took of as much of the tufts of the couch grass as I could. I think later in the year I'll plant chamomille along the trench, as apparently that helps. I've found sometimes its almost like pulling up a rug, its roots havents gotten past the top few mm of the soil and it pulls out easily. But sometimes its gotten entangled and its a nightmare. Pull up as much of the root as you can!

[KittyColdNose]

Hello and welcome Mrgrower

[Two_Sheds]

what can I order online weed killer that can be used to kill of the couch grass roots?

Glyphosate is what people use, but it won't be effective until April/May: it needs to be applied to actively growing green leaves. It won't work at all if you just drench the ground and the roots with it

tbh, excluding the light is just, possibly more, effective. Use thick mulches of cardboard held down with sods, bricks, bottles of water etc

But also allow me to get some spuds down this year.

You can plant spuds into the ground, even if it isn't totally clean.
The grass will continue to grow of course, but as you dig out the spuds, so you'll also be digging out the couch roots: two birds one stone