In article m, SteveM
writes
Thanks to everyone fo the replies.

The light elimination method sounds interesting

but it won't do for couch grass - if you don't want to use chemicals,
the only way to get rid of it is to dig up every little bit of root.

I'm guessing from your replies that lifting turf is not really a useful
option.

We always slice off the top inch of grass and stack the turves upside
down somewhere out of the way - it turns into nice stuff that you can
either put back on the beds or add to the grass clippings in the compost
heap. Makes it easier to dig the soil underneath as well.
Occasionally we lift off the turves, double dig and put the turves
upside down at the bottom of the trench.

Also I know that grass clippings can go on the compost heap
but I thought that turves might not do it any good.

Turves in the compost heap is no problem - we do it regularly - but put
them on upside down.

BTW a nice compromise for getting rid of couch grass using chemicals,
mentioned by someone on this group a couple of years ago is:
1 Buy some nice tough rubber gloves.
2 Buy some of that sponge, self adhesive draught excluder
3 Stick some of the draught excluder on the forefinger and
thumb of the rubber gloves
4 Put the rubber gloves on
5 Dip the draught excluder bits of the gloves into glyphosate
6 Run the couch grass blades between the soaked draught excluder

Apparently the original poster cleared his patch of couch grass in one
growing season using this method - the chemical isn't spread anywhere
except on the couch grass.

--
Jane Ransom in Lancaster.
I won't respond to private emails that are on topic for urg
but if you need to email me for any other reason, put ransoms
at jandg dot demon dot co dot uk where you see