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Couch Grass / Twitch Weed

Been digging a lot of this cr*p up on my new allotment - it's like white, electrical cable - fairly easy to pull out (better than bind weed) but a pain nevertheless

Any ideas / advice???

To be fair, I'm using Roundup (Glyphosate) on my dandelions but sparingly as I'm reading about Alzhiemer's etc and don't want to just spray the stuff all over

Posts

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,140

    Digging it out and gently teasing all roots out of the soil is the best way with couch grass.

    Good luck image


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • You say that but it has worked on the dandelions - or seemingly as it's been dry / fairly sunny (when I used it)

  • PalustrisPalustris Posts: 4,307

    And Couch is not in active growth? Who are you kidding? Dug over a bed two weeks ago and there is new growth in it already.

    Only go down 6 inches? Again, who are you kidding? The bed I am  trying to clean was turned over to a depth of 18 inches following the roots downwards.

    They are edible by the way if you want to get your own back on it!

  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,618

    I find it a lot easier to fork out of sandy soil. On clay, it inevitably breaks,and  leaves a bit which regrows.

  • Steve 309Steve 309 Posts: 2,753

    Digging it out of sandy soil is actually quite rewarding - you can compete with yourself to get the longest intact bit. 

    Oh dear.  Did I really write that?image

  • I hear you Verdun - I was desperate; 50 dandelions maybe more - I'm digging / forking / raking / pulling and it's a long old, back breaking job - the spade hardly goes in there's that many underground cables and they're so thick but I mustn't get downhearted - little and often, chin up, Dunkirk spirit, shoulders back lovely boy and all that LOL!

    Thanks for your advice everyone

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