"mogga" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 10 May 2012 22:18:36 +0100, "Christina Websell"
wrote:


Well I had hoped that it would rot down, when the digger made a heap of
it,
but now it's just a huge amount of couch grass growing again in a 3 ft
high
heapsigh
I guess growing courgettes in it are out of the plan now.

Not necessarily. courgettes are very hard to kill, I wouldn't have
thought the couch grass would do them much harm. They may even shade
it over enough to kill it off a bit

I'd sort of hoped it would turn into a gigantic compost heap but
realistically, it's been too cold and wet.

How long has it been there?

Only since March.


My massive heap of couch grass and weeds is now lovely soil. The end
I've started excavating is just about a year old.
The other half has lots of things growing in it (jack by the hedge
which smells lovely and garlicy) .. so I covered it in a pile of grass
clippings I got.

I have jack by the hedge in my garden, I eat it. Put a leaf or three on
cheese sandwiches and add a tad of mayo
Tina

"Martin Brown" wrote in message
news
On 14/05/2012 13:26, Janet wrote:
In ,
says...

wrote:

Tina said

I'd sort of hoped it would turn into a gigantic compost heap but
realistically, it's been too cold and wet.

mogg said
How long has it been there?

don't know abotu tina's, but /my/ weed compost heap is now growing
buttercups out
of it. :-(

Isn't it contained/covered in any way? If I didn't contain and cover
mine they would be so cool they'd take years to become usable compost.
Rain and wind are both cooling. Light encourages weeds to grow.

Tina's idea that a springtime naked heap of earth and newly dug couch
grass would "become compost" was unrealistic; couch regenerates rapidly
from its roots/stolons. If one wanted to farm couch grass on an
industrial scale, piling it into an uncovered heap in spring, with loose
soil and gentle rain, would work fine.

Ain't that just the truth. I now have a hundred long yard heap of couch
grass.

I find overlooking a small piece to be an effective way of farming the
stuff at this time of year. A hot heap will kill it but nothing less!

--
Regards,
Martin Brown

In article ,
says...
On 14/05/2012 13:26, Janet wrote:

If one wanted to farm couch grass on an
industrial scale, piling it into an uncovered heap in spring, with loose
soil and gentle rain, would work fine.

Ain't that just the truth. I now have a hundred long yard heap of couch
grass.

I know you don't want to hear this, but unless you kill the couch farm
NOW, within a month or two it will probably cover the entire plot and
choke every seedling veg. Your brother and SIL will be totally overwhelmed
and disheartened and lose interest.

I really recommend you take Martin's advice and glyphosate that heap
before it gets away from you.

Janet

On 15/05/2012 11:26, Janet wrote:
In ,
says...
On 14/05/2012 13:26, Janet wrote:

If one wanted to farm couch grass on an
industrial scale, piling it into an uncovered heap in spring, with loose
soil and gentle rain, would work fine.

Ain't that just the truth. I now have a hundred long yard heap of couch
grass.

I know you don't want to hear this, but unless you kill the couch farm
NOW, within a month or two it will probably cover the entire plot and
choke every seedling veg. Your brother and SIL will be totally overwhelmed
and disheartened and lose interest.

I really recommend you take Martin's advice and glyphosate that heap
before it gets away from you.

Piling it in blocks about 2m cubed and excluding all light ought to at
least discourage it a bit, but unless it is killed first it will run
several feet away from the heap pretty quickly.

I mostly throw mine into a neighbouring farmers field.

--
Regards,
Martin Brown