HELP - Couch Grass

[Andy-W]

So i have started clearing my new plot. It was a mess to start with and looking better now.

I am at the stage when i want to start digging some beds. The only problem is couch grass and most of all a route system so dense i can not get a spade through it in most parts. The couch grass seems to cover the whole plot. I have tried covering with card but in the past 2 months I have managed to collect enough card to cover one very small area (the fact that i ride a push bike makes it a bit harder to collect). I also spayed a 4 weeks back but it seems to have done nothing so far (i am guessing it is too late in the year).

So what else can i do?

[noviceveggrower]

I have couch grass on my plot.
What I have done is rake as much rubbish/dead grass off and started digging. I know what you mean about not getting a spade in, my plot has shed loads of couch grass and bind weed. How about a fork? Stick it in and wriggle it about until you can turn it over. I've just gone for it and hacked down with a spade and fork. Then raked it over to make sure I have got out as much as possible.
Think everyone will tell you to cover as much as you can with cardboard or with weed supressing fabric. Don't think weed killer will be very effective this time of year though.
Just some advice with raised beds and couch grass. I have found the roots can force their way through the wood and bury underneath your beds. It becomes a bu**ger to get out then.

[Andy-W]

How about a fork?

I spent 3 hours today with a fork and a spade. The route system is so thick that in that time i managed to dig less that a sqr metre and I didn't come close to getting all the routes out. The fork goes in but nothing will lift out. Just Turning one spade width took me about 15 mins (with all 17 stone of my body weight and lots of chopping) so digging is basically not possible.

I can't justify the cost of expensive plastic to cover the plot(having had to replace all my tools this week following my shed being burnt down) and getting that much card will take a lifetime.

I do have access to a rotervater and I know most people say not to rotervate on fear of spreading the weeds but with the weeds already being all over i am not sure it can do much harm. The only worry is i am honestly not sure a rotervator will manage the routes.

[lottie dolly]

that stuff was the bane off my life,and believe me,it comes through mypex as did the horsetail,covering it does nothing to kill the root system off,but it will keep the ground nice and supple to work on with a good pointed fork,much against my views,i sprayed one area,and got roots out easely so new beds on top filled with other soil,at the mo,i am removing soil from an old strawberry bed,it has mypex underneith,it is packed with unwanted roots,the easiest way is by fork,pull out what roots,and spade the loose stuff over a grill,only next year will tell if it was worth it,the worst ground is clay,and the worst thing you can do is to rotovate,fork,time and patients,

[bearded bloke]

Try cutting squares with a lawn edging tool then turn over with a spade, rotavator will bury the cut roots even deeper compounding the problem further

[astraman1]

trouble with rotovating over couch grass is it cuts the root in to lots of tiny pieces everyone of these tiny pieces becomes a new plant so it will only add to what you have now.

i got my plot 1 year ago and it was covered in couch grass ive got about 3/4 dug over twice now nd it still comes back in bits but im keeping on top of it

i covered my plot with black plastic and after a year it has killed the roots off too i just rolled it back as i dug once i clear 1m accross i went back and redug it again now i am barely getting any roots as they have all turned black and died

i know its expensive but it may be worth asking your committee if they have any black plastic laying around i know our committee keep some on had to cover vacant plots

its getting cold now so it shouldnt grow much more you can dig bits now and then in spring weed killer it all if you wish

with it being all over my plot ive found its also in the plants so i have beeen putting slabs in the ground around my perimeter to stop it re-entering my plot freecycle is a good place aswell as facebook groups free or recycle type groups i got a load of 3x2 slabs for free saving me about £150 just takes some man power to get them so its worth looking into

[Martin H]

My approach is to push a spade down to its full depth to cut any roots, then switch to a fork to lever up the cube of soil and shake out the couch roots. Slow but sure.

The good thing about couch roots is that they don't go very deep, no more than a normal digging fork depth as a rule.

[Aberdeenplotter]

I'm not really a fan of weedkillers on the plot but Couch on that scale really needs to be sprayed with industrial strength glyphosate. Roundup pro biactive or similar. A one off treatment should do the trick but there really does need to be active growth for the chemicals to work so thst is something you need to tackle once spring has sprung.

As others have suggested, do not under any circumstances use a rotovator. You will make things hundreds of times worse.

I've never come across couch so dense that it is impossible to get a spade through and I'm a couple of stones lighter than you. Might we worthwhile taking quarter an hour with a good file to sharpen your spade or use a hand held electric grinder (with goggles to protect your eyes) if you have one. If you can get the ground dug over, however roughly and however big clods are left, the winter frosts will break the soil down so that shaking out with a fork in springtime should be much easier.

I don't envy you with the task, sounds as though it's a massive job

Any chance of swapping that plot for another in better condition? May well be worth asking butwhatever, bring the situation to the attention of the plot administrators. You may be able to negotiate a rent free period to get the plot into order

[Andy-W]

Any chance of swapping that plot for another in better condition? May well be worth asking butwhatever, bring the situation to the attention of the plot administrators. You may be able to negotiate a rent free period to get the plot into order

Honestly this was the best of a bad bunch, Plots are very limited in my area and anything free is that way for good reason. I have also spent so much time getting it to a point I could even consider digging that its the point of no return. It took me ages cut back the brambles and the grass was about 6 ft high when i took it over. My shed was then burnt down 2 weeks ago meaning i lost all my tools (including my strimmer) and its cost me a fair bit to replace it all so i cant spend anything more on the allotment now or i would buy some ground covering.

It is so dense i honestly am not sure an average rovervator would handle it anyway. If it did i don't see how it could be any worse as not one inch on the plot is without the roots (I must take a photo of just how dense the roots are, I have never seen anything like it)

When i do manage to turn a section it is simply covered in roots that to remove them all would mean actually removing the top say 10 inch of soil.

I guess even if I turn it without getting all those roots out its going to just keep growing right?

With the shed fire and now what seems like an impossible task to even clear a single growing area I am close to giving up on it.



Thank you for all the advice people. I guess until i can spray it I just have to wait and leave it as it is.

[Bill HH]

Not popular but weed killer is the best way when you have an infestation like that. Let it grow in the spring then spray, it may need repeating. Basicaly you will lose a year.

[Andy-W]

Not popular but weed killer is the best way when you have an infestation like that. Let it grow in the spring then spray, it may need repeating. Basicaly you will lose a year.

So i guess the answer is to spend allot of time and effort on a small area to give me some growing space and then let the weed killer do its thing on the rest. I am not against the idea of weed killer at all especially not at this stage.

[Bill HH]

There are those who refuse to use it under any circumstances and i respect that. But couch grass and bindweed to me are exceptions and I will use roundup as a one off treatment without qualms. But you do need it to be growing well before you use it and resist planting until you are sure it isn't coming up again. Then you have to worry about it spreading from neighbours plots. Digging it out can be done but at my age i just cant do it.

[noviceveggrower]

Is there anyone else who can help you or are there any other plot holders who have had the same problem and how did they deal with it?
My couch grass is coming through from other plots and under the slab paths. I have managed to talk to one neighbour and he says if I want to use a weed killer then its fine by him.

[Siskin]

Can't offer much in the way of help, but just wanted to say please don't give up! I also suffer badly from depression and anxiety, and over this last year my plot has helped bring me out of some dark places. I'm sorry to hear some idiots burned your shed down; for some reason a lot of yobs target allotments for their petty crimes. Our site has been broken into recently, along with others in the area.

I just wanted to offer a bit of support, if you can call it that. I had tons of bindweed covering my plot, and so far have only managed to get half the plot cultivated, but it's so worth the hard work and frustrations gardening can cause when you can sit there on a sunny day, enjoying your little piece of paradise.

[bobbin]

If a spade won't cut it can you borrow a MATTOCK. ..I use one to dig trenches and it's brilliant. I am only 8.5 stone so you could do serious damage! I really struggle getting any weight behind a spade. You swing it as opposed to digging in. It'll go through clay and root where a spade won't and it's so easy to use. Then either shake roots free (best when soil dryish) or turn over DEEP cut clods to reverse the grass. I know it's tedious and I've not a massive plot but hand weeding gets rid of couch grass.....yes I know life's too short to weed......If you can create a border around your allotment and create a weeded barrier it helps in stopping the grass creeping overground at least. PLEEEEEESE don't give up. Though after having your shed burnt down you must feel like it. You can't let kill joys and weeds get the better of you! Good luck!