On 03/03/2013 21:15, Roger Tonkin wrote:
A patch of my garden borders a field which is covered
in couch grass. The field is being sold, and is no
longer home to any animals.

During this short hiatus, I would very much like to
murder the edge of the field's couch grass. Given that
grass is not growing very quickly at present, and I
need a quick solution, can anyone suggest a
product/method that would do the job - preferably
without leaving a harmful residue that could affecy
animals.

Glyphosate is the method of choice for killing all grass.

You should check that your neighbour isn't an organic farmer though.
Grass killed by glyphosate takes on a characteristic orange brown colour
instantly recognisable to anyone in the business.

Don't be tempted to spray with a strongly solution you need a slow
two-three week kill to zap the roots as well as the tops.

It is a bit early to apply it but if it is warm and sunny and the grass
is obviously growing then it should be effective. You can improve the
kill rate with a scorched earth policy of burning off the dead material
once it is tinder dry (taking care not to set light to any fences)
leaving a black band which makes it easy to spot weed any survivors.

I do more or less the same to keep ground elder at bay.

Regards,
Martin Brown