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New beds and couch grass

BalBal Posts: 93
in Problem solving

Hi guys I have very kindly been given a load of plants by my lovely neighbour (need ID but haven't taken pics yet). imageI potted them up about 4 weeks ago. The problem is that there is a lot of couch grass in with the soil the plants are in. image I don't want to introduce this into my new raised beds, how do I get rid of it before I plant them out? :confused:Thanks

Posts

  • Dave MorganDave Morgan Posts: 3,123

    I'd carefully take the plant out of the pot and then tease the couch grass out of the root ball. The roots are easy to distinguish from the plant roots as they are quite thick and fleshy. Then repot them or plant straight out into your raised bed.

  • PalustrisPalustris Posts: 4,307

    Not easy, unless you can separate the couch and get weedkiller on it, without touching the plants. Otherwise, you have to do what we are doing at present. Grow the plants on in the pots until they are strong and healthy. then take them out of the pots and wash all the compost off the roots. Tease out the couch grass roots and repot the plants. Do this until there is no more couch appearing. Time consuming, but it works, eventually.

     

  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190

    Pull it out from the roots, if you do it now before the plants get underway, it will be easy. Make sure you get every bit of root out or it will grow again.

    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190

    Oops! crossed posts, sorry you two.

    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • BalBal Posts: 93

    Thanks guys, can you recommend a weed killer. I wanted to be organic, but I know what a pain couch grass is. I have it all over the rest of the graden, and I've only got grass!.

  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,058

    I find if I soak the whole root ball in water the couch grass is easy to pull out without damaging the plant.  Afterwards you can either pot up again to keep it in quarantine or else plant it out but keep an eye for any bits you missed.  It's easy enough to keep pulling the leaves off small outbreaks and it does eventually give up if tehre's no green to feed the roots.

    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190

    You dont need weedkiller, it will come out, even with weedkiller, if you dont zap every bit, or even if you do, it probably will come back later. 

    I have used so much glyphosate on brambles and couch grass and its all back again.

    The best way IMO is to keep digging out.

     

    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,614

    Can you take cuttings of the new plants, grow on in new compost, discard old weed infested ones?

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