"Pete C" wrote in message
...


Bob Hobden wrote:
"Lol" wrote ...
Well actually it looks more like a bit of field that hasn't been
cultivated for years.
4 poles (100 m2), all covered in couch grass.
So far we have dismantled a couple of pallets and made a compost
bin, but probably can't compost couch grass enough to kill it.
Mares tail is also present in the area, so seeds are probably around
waiting for anyone to expose some bare soil.

Cover the lot in plastic and leave it for a year??? (Are we allowed
to do that??).

Potentially a lot of work here, important that any effort is most
efficiently targeted.

So please advise and suggest plans of action!

Many thanks

You will find you cannot dig out couch grass no matter how careful
you are and it will be a problem for ever. Spray with glyphosate
(Roundup) while the plants are still green and wait a few weeks and
they will all turn brown and the roots will be killed too. It's the
only sure way to kill almost all perennial weeds and start with a
clean plot. Black plastic will work eventually but by then you will
have had notice to quit for not cultivating your plot. Glysophate
weedkiller becomes inert on contact with the soil so it's not too bad.
Mares tail is another problem, you certainly cannot dig that out it
goes down too far and the foliage is naturally water resistant so
it's difficult to kill with weedkiller, we found constant hoeing off
reduced it over time. Spend the first 10 mins of every visit to the
plot hoeing. It will be all around and will come back from the
surrounding areas but from our experience it seems to move across an
area in a wave of thick growth and just leaves a few plants behind in
it's wake. One problem is, if the surrounding area is also infested with
couch
it will grow back surprising quickly so it may be an idea to
weedkiller the whole area and reseed any grass paths with proper
grass. Or use old paving slabs like us to cut down on the work.
Don't put your compost bin onto soil infested with couch or it will
infest your compost making it useless.

Bob's comments are spot on. I also find a flame gun useful on Mares tail.
It destroys what you can see and weakens the roots. Come spring when it
starts to grow, visit the plot as often as possible and deal with the
tail. Go away for 2 weeks, and you won't beleive the 2ft high 'field'
waving at you in the breeze!! Good luck

What they said. I would also manually clear a strip or two now and get some
overwintering onions and broad beans in.This will give you encouragement to
stick at the task, there's nothing worse than a vast expanse of nothing.

Steve