On Sat, 2 Aug 2003 18:58:36 +0100, PA wrote:

I've a lot of couch grass to clear...


After reading a number of other replies, let me suggest an
alternative, organic approach. It depends on the fact that couch
grass likes to have its rhizomes just below the soil surface.

Cover the infested area with black plastic sheeting and wait. The
couch grass rhizomes will start growing on the surface of the
soil immediately under the plastic. Allow some time for this to
happen -- perhaps as long as a season -- and clearing will be a
matter of simply lifting the plastic and peeling off the
couchgrass rhizomes.

A thick, loose organic mulch will also have much the same effect.
In that case, the rhizomes will be an inch or so below the
surface, but they are very easy to pull out of a layer of loose,
unconsolidated organic matter.

Note that both of these methods take time. I suspect that there
is a general principle at work: if you want to stay organic, you
can expect to spend a fair whack of time. If you want results
*tomorrow*, then you have to use chemical x-icides.


The black plastic method may have another effect: if the soil
underneath gets hot enough from the sun, it will just cook the
couch rhizomes.


--
Rodger Whitlock
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada