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

Lol

On Sat, 07 Nov 2009 21:41:47 +0000, Lol wrote:



So please advise and suggest plans of action!

Many thanks

Lol

In a word, glyphosate. And now in in industrial strength. BTW mares-tail
is a semi-aquatic, you are more likely to have horse-tail q.v.. Bob
Flowerdew recommends moving house if you have it.

Derek Turner wrote:

In a word, glyphosate. And now in in industrial strength. BTW mares-tail
is a semi-aquatic, you are more likely to have horse-tail q.v.. Bob
Flowerdew recommends moving house if you have it.

Hi there. We've lived and worked in Belgium for the last 7 years. Our
own house is in Yorkshire. Our present rental property has a smallish
lawn and an 'l' shaped herbaceous to the back of the lawn and down the
side of the house. Everything seemed tidy for the first month. But
then I spotted the dreaded horsetail!! It 'lived' in the border
alongside the house. I then realised that owner's wife had regularly
"cropped" and also just before we moved in. I hoed the tops off for
the 1st year. Then I'd had enough so I asked if the plants from the
1st 15 yards could be removed, along with the soil. Three men duly
arrived and it was done in a couple of hours.

When the horsetail regrew I sprayed with a double strength SBK
liquid,50 ml/1.5 l. and after 4 weeks repeated the process. I took a
risk and transplanted a few small low-growing shrubs. After another 6
weeks I only found 2 sprigs of horsetail regrown from an original
fifty.

The bottom section, which borders the lawn has large shrubs, so I used
a piece of carboard carton as a shield and sprayed the horsetail in
between these plants.

I'm now keeping fingers crossed for a clean border, in time for a bit
of fresh spring planting! Wish me well :-)

--
Don

"Derek Turner" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 07 Nov 2009 21:41:47 +0000, Lol wrote:



So please advise and suggest plans of action!

Many thanks

Lol

In a word, glyphosate. And now in in industrial strength. BTW mares-tail
is a semi-aquatic, you are more likely to have horse-tail q.v.. Bob
Flowerdew recommends moving house if you have it.

Thanks for that.

As it turns out, what we have here is probably "Bottle brush"

So thats Ok then - no need to abandon hope...

Lol

On 2009-11-08 16:14:43 +0000, "Lol" said:


"Derek Turner" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 07 Nov 2009 21:41:47 +0000, Lol wrote:



So please advise and suggest plans of action!

Many thanks

Lol

In a word, glyphosate. And now in in industrial strength. BTW mares-tail
is a semi-aquatic, you are more likely to have horse-tail q.v.. Bob
Flowerdew recommends moving house if you have it.

Thanks for that.

As it turns out, what we have here is probably "Bottle brush"

So thats Ok then - no need to abandon hope...

Lol

Er, what is usually called bottle brush is a highly desirable shrub
known as Callistemon.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
Shrubs & perennials. Tender & exotics.
South Devon

In message , Sacha
writes
On 2009-11-08 16:14:43 +0000, "Lol" said:

"Derek Turner" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 07 Nov 2009 21:41:47 +0000, Lol wrote:

So please advise and suggest plans of action!
Many thanks
Lol
In a word, glyphosate. And now in in industrial strength. BTW
mares-tail
is a semi-aquatic, you are more likely to have horse-tail q.v.. Bob
Flowerdew recommends moving house if you have it.
Thanks for that.
As it turns out, what we have here is probably "Bottle brush"
So thats Ok then - no need to abandon hope...
Lol

Er, what is usually called bottle brush is a highly desirable shrub
known as Callistemon.

In this case bottle brush presumably refers to the use of horsetail for
scouring.

(When you consider the number of names that Arum maculatum, for example,
goes by, a 3rd name for horsetail is not great shakes.)
--
Stewart Robert Hinsley

On 2009-11-12 12:43:21 +0000, Stewart Robert Hinsley
said:

In message , Sacha
writes
On 2009-11-08 16:14:43 +0000, "Lol" said:

"Derek Turner" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 07 Nov 2009 21:41:47 +0000, Lol wrote:

So please advise and suggest plans of action!
Many thanks
Lol
In a word, glyphosate. And now in in industrial strength. BTW mares-tail
is a semi-aquatic, you are more likely to have horse-tail q.v.. Bob
Flowerdew recommends moving house if you have it.
Thanks for that.
As it turns out, what we have here is probably "Bottle brush"
So thats Ok then - no need to abandon hope...
Lol

Er, what is usually called bottle brush is a highly desirable shrub
known as Callistemon.

In this case bottle brush presumably refers to the use of horsetail for
scouring.

(When you consider the number of names that Arum maculatum, for
example, goes by, a 3rd name for horsetail is not great shakes.)

Except that there is a great deal of difference between Callistemon and
what is usually known as horsetail, a pestiferous weed. For a new
gardener that could lead to some costly confusion.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
Shrubs & perennials. Tender & exotics.
South Devon

"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.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden
just W. of London

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
--
Buy a poppy....help a serviceman
Also....
http://www.helpforheroes.org.uk/donations.html
Pete C
London UK

"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

"shazzbat" wrote in message
...

"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

Thats an excellent suggestion, thanks. Forgot that wallflowers only went
into the garden last month -
is there any other veg that could go in now?
Lol

"Bob Hobden" wrote in message
...

"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.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden
just W. of London

Many thanks for that detailed and informative answer.

Will certainly investigate Glysophate, but without much enthusiasm. Had a
chance to look closely today, and not all of that grass is couch, I think
its mainly rye with clumps of couch.

there's a willow tree at one end, and a plum tree in one corner, couch grass
infestation seem to have come from there.

We will only know for sure when we start work in earnest. Have sited compost
carefully in a clear area.

Many thanks,
Lol

"Lol" wrote

(Huge snip)

Will certainly investigate Glysophate, but without much enthusiasm. Had a
chance to look closely today, and not all of that grass is couch, I think
its mainly rye with clumps of couch.

We too didn't like the idea of using weedkiller when we got an overgrown
plot years ago that hadn't been used for 20 years or more. But experience
told us it was the only way we could deal with the perennial weeds. Two
sprays a month apart and it was done.
Being surrounded by similar wild land it was a constant battle with couch
and mares tail trying to get to the nice fertile soil we developed.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden
just W. of London

Bob Hobden wrote:
"Lol" wrote

(Huge snip)
Will certainly investigate Glysophate, but without much enthusiasm. Had a
chance to look closely today, and not all of that grass is couch, I think
its mainly rye with clumps of couch.

We too didn't like the idea of using weedkiller when we got an overgrown
plot years ago that hadn't been used for 20 years or more. But experience
told us it was the only way we could deal with the perennial weeds. Two
sprays a month apart and it was done.
Being surrounded by similar wild land it was a constant battle with couch
and mares tail trying to get to the nice fertile soil we developed.

I took over an allotment 2 years ago with brambles, couch grass and
bindweed and dug out what I could. I think that I have got rid of
brambles but still find the other two. OTOH they don't prevent decent
crops so am not too worried.


--
CTC Right to Ride Rep. for Richmond upon Thames

In message , Bob Hobden
writes
You will find you cannot dig out couch grass no matter how careful you
are and it will be a problem for ever.

I think that I did manage to did out the couch grass from my allotment -
but in hindsight it would have been quicker to have used glyphosate,
except that the rhubarb bed was overrun with bramble and couch. The
problem I have is that couch grass reinvades from the grass paths - the
rhizomes can be up to 2 or more feet long.
--
Stewart Robert Hinsley