On Fri, 16 Mar 2012 19:48:56 -0000, Roger Tonkin
wrote:

My garlic bed has been invaded by couch grass from next doors
field/garden. Given that the garlic is growing strongly, how best can I
get rid of the couch. I can not dig deeply to get all the roots out, nor
can I risk spraying with glyophosphate, especially as there is sometimes
stock in the field from where it came.

I spent the afternoon digging out as much as I could, but given the
growing plants I know I've not really done a good job.

Anyone any ideas?

First thing is that couch grass isn't that deep rooted - usually about
4", rarely more than 6" deep. If the ground is well dug - i.e. the
soil is relatively loose - then it's often possible to pull it up
gently.

It's susceptible to glyphosate. Suggest you get hold of a little hand
trigger sprayer (around a quid in Wilkinson) and a 2-litre plastic pop
bottle from which you cut the tapered bit at the top and the nobbly
bit at the bottom to give yourself a nice tube. Place the tube over a
clump of couch grass and push down so it's touching ground. Insert
nozzle of spray device into top end of tube and spray the couch grass
inside it. Wait about 10 minutes or so for spray to dry. Remove tube,
repeat elsewhere.

This stops any spray drift onto your garlic or other plants you want
to keep and also into next door's stock area. Once glyphosate's dry
it's safe and, of course, being systemic, it will work its way down to
the roots and you should see the couch dying back within a couple of
weeks. For added effect, avoid a windy day and preferably choose a
sunny one.

Then consider some sort of barrier between you and next door - only
needs to be a vertical something going about 8" deep.

Cheers, Jake
=======================================
Urgling happily from the dryer end of Swansea Bay.