Hi,

I have recently taken on a large allotment which has a severe case of couch grass invasion. Could someone please tell me the best thing to cover the area with whilst I am working on other parts of the allotment.

If I can help it I do not want to use any weed killers. I have read covering over is one of the better solutions.

My two thoughts of covers are a think black plastic polythene sheet Something like : (HEAVY DUTY BLACK POLYTHENE PLASTIC SHEETING 4M WIDE DPM ROLLS 300MU 1200 GAUGE | eBay)

With option two being heavy duty garden control fabric. Something like : (Kenley Garden Landscape Weed Control Fabric Ground Cover - Heavy Duty 100GSM | eBay)

Does anyone have any preference over these two options or am I missing something better on the market.

On 12/11/2014 13:13, SecondFromLeft wrote:
Hi,

I have recently taken on a large allotment which has a severe case of
couch grass invasion. Could someone please tell me the best thing to
cover the area with whilst I am working on other parts of the
allotment.

If I can help it I do not want to use any weed killers. I have read
covering over is one of the better solutions.

My two thoughts of covers are a think black plastic polythene sheet
Something like : ('HEAVY DUTY BLACK POLYTHENE PLASTIC SHEETING 4M WIDE
DPM ROLLS 300MU 1200 GAUGE | eBay' (http://tinyurl.com/nr4csbh))

With option two being heavy duty garden control fabric. Something like :
('Kenley Garden Landscape Weed Control Fabric Ground Cover - Heavy Duty
100GSM | eBay' (http://tinyurl.com/lewfp78))

Does anyone have any preference over these two options or am I missing
something better on the market.




Depends on you budget. The cheapest option is to go to a carpet retailer
and ask them for a bit of rubbish carpet, then place that over. The
trouble with the black polythene, especially the thin variety is that
winds will soon wreck it.

"Broadback" wrote in message
...
On 12/11/2014 13:13, SecondFromLeft wrote:
Hi,

I have recently taken on a large allotment which has a severe case of
couch grass invasion. Could someone please tell me the best thing to
cover the area with whilst I am working on other parts of the
allotment.

If I can help it I do not want to use any weed killers. I have read
covering over is one of the better solutions.

My two thoughts of covers are a think black plastic polythene sheet
Something like : ('HEAVY DUTY BLACK POLYTHENE PLASTIC SHEETING 4M WIDE
DPM ROLLS 300MU 1200 GAUGE | eBay' (http://tinyurl.com/nr4csbh))

With option two being heavy duty garden control fabric. Something like :
('Kenley Garden Landscape Weed Control Fabric Ground Cover - Heavy Duty
100GSM | eBay' (http://tinyurl.com/lewfp78))

Does anyone have any preference over these two options or am I missing
something better on the market.




Depends on you budget. The cheapest option is to go to a carpet retailer
and ask them for a bit of rubbish carpet, then place that over. The
trouble with the black polythene, especially the thin variety is that
winds will soon wreck it.

Carpet is also better as it allows water through

--
Charlie, Gardening in Cornwall
Holders of National Collections of Clematis viticella
and Lapageria rosea cvs
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk

On Wed, 12 Nov 2014 14:13:20 +0100, SecondFromLeft
wrote:

Does anyone have any preference over these two options or am I missing
something better on the market.

Old carpet. Try companies that replace carpets.

Steve

--
Neural Network Software http://www.npsnn.com
EasyNN-plus More than just a neural network http://www.easynn.com
SwingNN Prediction software http://www.swingnn.com
JustNN Just a neural network http://www.justnn.com

Good evening

On Wed, 12 Nov 2014 14:13:20 +0100,
SecondFromLeft wrote:
[covering couch-grass]

Does anyone have any preference over these two options or am I missing
something better on the market.

I try something new this year. Having assisted to a crash-course in
scything, and being in urgent need of 120m² of free space for a
green-house, I cover the future beds with a thick layer (20+cm) of
grass-cuttings. In a different spot this has held of most wild plants
from invading.

The first layer has already been compacted under the recent rain showers
and I added more grass.

Will report back (“You should never underestimate a good laugher� etc).

Couch grass is a big problem this year. See also in this newsgroup my
post u
and the pictures: http://www.uplawski.eu/div/pierced_potatos/

Michael
--
Location: Lower Normandy (Orne), France
GnuPG/OpenPGP 4096R/3216CF02 2013-11-15 [expires: 2015-11-15]
sub 4096R/2751C550 2013-11-15 [expires: 2015-11-15]

In article ,
says...

Hi,

I have recently taken on a large allotment which has a severe case of
couch grass invasion. Could someone please tell me the best thing to
cover the area with whilst I am working on other parts of the
allotment.

Consider old wool carpet on a canvas backing.

Locally, I can get any amount, delivered free from the carpet company
that removes it before fitting new carpets. They are delighted to give
it away (and deliver free) because they would otherwise have to deliver
it to waste disposal and pay commercial waste rates.

Janet.

"Charlie Pridham" wrote


"Broadback" wrote
, SecondFromLeft wrote:
I have recently taken on a large allotment which has a severe case of
couch grass invasion. Could someone please tell me the best thing to
cover the area with whilst I am working on other parts of the
allotment.

If I can help it I do not want to use any weed killers. I have read
covering over is one of the better solutions.

My two thoughts of covers are a think black plastic polythene sheet
Something like : ('HEAVY DUTY BLACK POLYTHENE PLASTIC SHEETING 4M WIDE
DPM ROLLS 300MU 1200 GAUGE | eBay' (http://tinyurl.com/nr4csbh))

With option two being heavy duty garden control fabric. Something like :
('Kenley Garden Landscape Weed Control Fabric Ground Cover - Heavy Duty
100GSM | eBay' (http://tinyurl.com/lewfp78))

Does anyone have any preference over these two options or am I missing
something better on the market.

Depends on you budget. The cheapest option is to go to a carpet retailer
and ask them for a bit of rubbish carpet, then place that over. The
trouble with the black polythene, especially the thin variety is that
winds will soon wreck it.

Carpet is also better as it allows water through

In my experience seen on another allotment site it also lets the Couch Grass
through then you have old carpet stuck to the ground with couch and
virtually impossible to remove! How long does couch have to be covered to
kill it, one whole season or two? Then there is the problem of what
chemicals etc are on the old carpet, no way of telling, and do you want them
in your soil if you are so nervous about such things.

Why not use Glyphosate, IME it is the only sure way to rid your plot of
couch grass which is even worse than bindweed for coming up again from any
small bit of root left in the soil. One or maybe two applications should
kill it completely and you can then dig in the dead weed and know you have a
clean plot. Then you can use your whole plot next season and only have to
concern yourself about it coming back from the surrounding area. A quick
squirt of Glyphosate around the edge once a year will see to that too.
Most of us on our site use it to keep our rabbit fences clear of weeds so we
can see where the little blighters are trying to dig in.
--
Regards. Bob Hobden.
Posted to this Newsgroup from the W of London, UK

In article ,
lid says...

Carpet is also better as it allows water through

Isn't that a bad thing if you are trying to kill couch grass?

Doesn't matter. Lack of light kills plants.

Janet.

On Wed, 12 Nov 2014 19:32:22 +0000, Janet wrote:

In article ,
lid says...

Carpet is also better as it allows water through

Isn't that a bad thing if you are trying to kill couch grass?

Doesn't matter. Lack of light kills plants.


Actually it's positive, because the trouble with closing off the soil
altogether is that the lack of water (and associated oxygenation) causes
it to become very heavy over time.


--
Gardening in Lower Normandy

On 12/11/2014 15:39, Charlie Pridham wrote:

"Broadback" wrote in message
...
On 12/11/2014 13:13, SecondFromLeft wrote:
Hi,

I have recently taken on a large allotment which has a severe case of
couch grass invasion. Could someone please tell me the best thing to
cover the area with whilst I am working on other parts of the
allotment.

If I can help it I do not want to use any weed killers. I have read
covering over is one of the better solutions.

My two thoughts of covers are a think black plastic polythene sheet
Something like : ('HEAVY DUTY BLACK POLYTHENE PLASTIC SHEETING 4M WIDE
DPM ROLLS 300MU 1200 GAUGE | eBay' (http://tinyurl.com/nr4csbh))

With option two being heavy duty garden control fabric. Something like :
('Kenley Garden Landscape Weed Control Fabric Ground Cover - Heavy Duty
100GSM | eBay' (http://tinyurl.com/lewfp78))

Does anyone have any preference over these two options or am I missing
something better on the market.

Depends on you budget. The cheapest option is to go to a carpet
retailer and ask them for a bit of rubbish carpet, then place that
over. The trouble with the black polythene, especially the thin
variety is that winds will soon wreck it.

Carpet is also better as it allows water through

But the OP should be made aware that carpets also contains chemicals
that rainwater will leach out of it. Couch grass will happily grow
through a carpet anyway so you can't win. Glyphosate based weedkiller is
probably the most environmentally friendly way to zap couch grass.

Grass is exquisitely sensitive to glyphosate so it works very well
(although not at this time of year - it has to be growing).

A hit and then when it is tinder dry a flash fire of the dry material
leaves a blackened area where new green growth it easy to spot weed.

Irrational fear of "chemicals" is getting to be a problem.

--
Regards,
Martin Brown

On 12/11/2014 19:55, Emery Davis wrote:
On Wed, 12 Nov 2014 19:32:22 +0000, Janet wrote:

In article ,
lid says...

Carpet is also better as it allows water through

Isn't that a bad thing if you are trying to kill couch grass?

Doesn't matter. Lack of light kills plants.


Actually it's positive, because the trouble with closing off the soil
altogether is that the lack of water (and associated oxygenation) causes
it to become very heavy over time.


I thought that the idea of covering the couch grass was to bring the
runners to the surface so they can be gathered up without digging, not
to kill them, but it's a slow job and I also would be using Round up
even though I don't like it for many jobs. This is one place for it.
David @ a damp side of Swansea Bay (I should say saturated)

On Wed, 12 Nov 2014 20:48:52 +0000, David wrote:

I thought that the idea of covering the couch grass was to bring the
runners to the surface so they can be gathered up without digging, not
to kill them, but it's a slow job and I also would be using Round up
even though I don't like it for many jobs. This is one place for it.
D

I think the roots will grow into/through almost anything given time. I
agree, glyphosate is the best solution for couch grass.



--
Gardening in Lower Normandy

"Martin" wrote
You can buy a membrane that is opaque, but water permeable. Using this it
takes
at least a year to kill the couch grass under the cover. You need to kill
the
couch grass on a strip of land along the edge of the cover first otherwise
the
couch grass under the edge of the membrane grows outwards towards the
light.
Use glyphosate while you can, before it is banned. From 1 January 2015 in
the
Netherlands there will be a ban on the use of glyphosate, except for
agriculture. In particular local authorities and private individuals are
banned
from buying and using it. It was found that glyphosate applied to roads and
pavements by local authorities was sometimes being washed down the drains
by
rain before it had time to break down.

That is not a problem with the chemical it's a problem with the use so why
ban it, just stipulate where/when it can/can't be used by local authorities
(No hard surfaces for example), makes no sense and forces users to resort to
much worse and long lasting chemicals. I bet they haven't considered what
the alternative is.
Sometimes I despair of those in authority.
--
Regards. Bob Hobden.
Posted to this Newsgroup from the W of London, UK

On 13/11/2014 09:46, Martin wrote:
On Wed, 12 Nov 2014 18:51:38 -0000, "Bob Hobden" wrote:

"Charlie Pridham" wrote


"Broadback" wrote
, SecondFromLeft wrote:
I have recently taken on a large allotment which has a severe case of
couch grass invasion. Could someone please tell me the best thing to
cover the area with whilst I am working on other parts of the
allotment.

If I can help it I do not want to use any weed killers. I have read
covering over is one of the better solutions.

My two thoughts of covers are a think black plastic polythene sheet
Something like : ('HEAVY DUTY BLACK POLYTHENE PLASTIC SHEETING 4M WIDE
DPM ROLLS 300MU 1200 GAUGE | eBay' (http://tinyurl.com/nr4csbh))

With option two being heavy duty garden control fabric. Something like :
('Kenley Garden Landscape Weed Control Fabric Ground Cover - Heavy Duty
100GSM | eBay' (http://tinyurl.com/lewfp78))

Does anyone have any preference over these two options or am I missing
something better on the market.

Depends on you budget. The cheapest option is to go to a carpet retailer
and ask them for a bit of rubbish carpet, then place that over. The
trouble with the black polythene, especially the thin variety is that
winds will soon wreck it.

Carpet is also better as it allows water through

In my experience seen on another allotment site it also lets the Couch Grass
through then you have old carpet stuck to the ground with couch and
virtually impossible to remove! How long does couch have to be covered to
kill it, one whole season or two? Then there is the problem of what
chemicals etc are on the old carpet, no way of telling, and do you want them
in your soil if you are so nervous about such things.

Why not use Glyphosate, IME it is the only sure way to rid your plot of
couch grass which is even worse than bindweed for coming up again from any
small bit of root left in the soil. One or maybe two applications should
kill it completely and you can then dig in the dead weed and know you have a
clean plot. Then you can use your whole plot next season and only have to
concern yourself about it coming back from the surrounding area. A quick
squirt of Glyphosate around the edge once a year will see to that too.
Most of us on our site use it to keep our rabbit fences clear of weeds so we
can see where the little blighters are trying to dig in.

You can buy a membrane that is opaque, but water permeable. Using this it takes
at least a year to kill the couch grass under the cover. You need to kill the
couch grass on a strip of land along the edge of the cover first otherwise the
couch grass under the edge of the membrane grows outwards towards the light.
Use glyphosate while you can, before it is banned. From 1 January 2015 in the
Netherlands there will be a ban on the use of glyphosate, except for
agriculture. In particular local authorities and private individuals are banned
from buying and using it. It was found that glyphosate applied to roads and
pavements by local authorities was sometimes being washed down the drains by
rain before it had time to break down.

Even if that is true the LD50 for glyphosate is about the same as that
for the caffeine in coffee. The surfactants (aka washing up liquid like
compounds) added to the commercial formulations are far nastier.

This is an example of the irrational fear of chemicals resulting in a
stupid decision when all that is needed is some training of the
operatives not to spray when rain is expected and to be selective.

--
Regards,
Martin Brown

"Martin" wrote ...

"Bob Hobden" wrote:

"Martin" wrote
You can buy a membrane that is opaque, but water permeable. Using this it
takes
at least a year to kill the couch grass under the cover. You need to kill
the
couch grass on a strip of land along the edge of the cover first
otherwise
the
couch grass under the edge of the membrane grows outwards towards the
light.
Use glyphosate while you can, before it is banned. From 1 January 2015
in
the
Netherlands there will be a ban on the use of glyphosate, except for
agriculture. In particular local authorities and private individuals are
banned
from buying and using it. It was found that glyphosate applied to roads
and
pavements by local authorities was sometimes being washed down the
drains
by
rain before it had time to break down.

That is not a problem with the chemical it's a problem with the use so why
ban it, just stipulate where/when it can/can't be used by local
authorities
(No hard surfaces for example

That eliminates its main use by local authorities in the Netherlands. Urban
roads are covered in bricks/pave.

), makes no sense and forces users to resort to
much worse and long lasting chemicals. I bet they haven't considered what
the alternative is.
Sometimes I despair of those in authority.

The local authority alternative appears to be killing weeds with steam.
Dutch
local authorities have already stopped using glyphosate.

Well I have heard that Japanese Knot weed is edible when cooked!
--
Regards. Bob Hobden.
Posted to this Newsgroup from the W of London, UK