Is this Couch Grass?

[RobintheBobin]

Hi there

The council rotovated my new allotment before handing me the keys and there is plenty of vegetation that has been chopped up into the soil. I'm not sure if there is couch grass in there or not but would be grateful if anyone could tell me if it is couch grass or not. It feels soft to the touch, almost furry. I can't really see what the roots are like but I'm going to nip over at lunchtime to see if I can dig some fresh bits up.

Thanks

[Two_Sheds]

yes it is, I reckon. The roots will tell you http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?im...OMHl-QaMyqnBDQ

[OverWyreGrower]

I would say yes.... we have loads of the stuff... it's horrible!

We have a strategy of digging up what we can, weedkilling what we can't get out, then burning the dead stuff. We've also found that covering over with plastic/cardboard etc weakens it quite a lot and it's easier to pull out...

[RobintheBobin]

Oh poo

[OverWyreGrower]

Oh poo

Don't let it get you down! Our entire patch is COVERED in couch grass, mares tail and bindweed (and don't even ask about the docks and nettles)... despite clearing beds, we have found bindweed growing up pea supports, potato plants and raspberry canes!!

We just pull it/hoe it out and carry on! Once a year (this weekend just gone), we do a huge clear out and burn of stuff and start again.

If you worry/panic about it, you lose focus on the whole idea of growing your own! Just cover what you're not using over, and deal with it when you come to it!

[Lazgaot]

Its not that bad if you look at it like this... Its been freshly rotovated which will weaken it significantly. Using a fork and rake, go through the soil and remove as much of the grass and root fragments as possible. Then dump/spread a load of manure on it and cover it over with a few layers of cardboard and weigh down. Leave it for a few months, remove and plant! Make sure you use a good covering of cardboard as it will gradually rot down. Alternatively do as above but cover with cardboard then plastic so that no rain or light gets through. Leave it a few months, it'll be dark and very dry and the grass won't live through till Spring.

[zazen999]

We steam up our lottie after a good rainfall as it makes it easier to get couch grass roots up - as we have clay up there and if the soil is dry the roots break.

There's worse things to have...and if it has been rotavated at least the roots are near the surface for the first few months so get it up whilst you can

[SarzWix]

Yeah, what the others said - don't panic, it is easier to get out in a lot of ways than other weeds. It rarely goes as deep as dandelion and dock, it's definately easier to get out than horsetail or bindweed. It might be a pain for a while if the ploughing has chopped the roots up a bit, but get out what you can and cover with cardboard and muck, and hopefully it will see off a lot of it. I always find it comes out better if you dig with a fork rather than a spade - it brings it out like spaghetti rather than chopping it up with the spade.

[RobintheBobin]

Awww Grapes you have made me feel a lot better I am going to try and get up there over the next few weeks and dig/fork as much as possible...at least now I don't feel like I need to do it this minute, right now!

Do I compost the grass or burn it?

Thanks

[Jeanied]

Hi RtB - it tends to grow if you try composting it (found this out the hard way) - a couple of ways of dealing with it - dry it out and burn it - use the ash; soak it and make a liquid compost of it (not this time of year though). I put mine in the green waste that goes to the council as their composting process uses such high temperatures that it kills it - too difficult to replicate on the lottie.

[Two_Sheds]

soak it and make a liquid compost of it (not this time of year though).

Jeanie means you shouldn't be feeding your plants (what plants?) in the winter.

However you can definitely fill up a bin or bucket with your couch roots, cover with water and a lid, and then use the resulting stinky liquid on your compost heap as an accelerator.

Waste not, want not