[yorkiegal]

I've strimmed the plot and am currently double digging all those areas I don't plan to plant in this year. I have already got a few raised beds going for this year. I'm taking the turf off first and have made a composter with pallets and dumped it all in there. But my plot is mostly made up of couch grass. Will I just end up with a big mound of grass growing again from the turf, rather than some nice compost? And should I cover it up with tarp?

All my other compostable stuff is going in my two daleks.

[Yorkie]

In my experience couch grass mounds just grow more couch grass; the only turf mounds to work reliably are those of proper turf.

However, exclude the light and you may be lucky over the course of a couple of years.

[GrannieAnnie]

If the turfs (turves??)  are upside down, it will help compost them a bit quicker.

[goodtogrow]

Wither them.  At this time of year, and throughout the summer, leave the turves root-side up, as a single-layer mulch on ground that you're not using.  Stir them if any have the umph to root..

I cleared all of my plot in this way,  then at the end of the season the brittle turves were all composted, and covered with a tarp.

Tom             

[RichardA]

I have turf from a neighbour stacked under black plastic, three years later any exposure to light and rain and the couch grass soon shows - it is the only thing I spray -- no doubt in time it will be clear of couch grass but until pressed I am leaving it.
R

[goodtogrow]

And another thing, part of withering is bashing/shaking off the  soil as the sods dry.  It's lovely soil around couch (or any other kind of) grass roots, full of root hairs, so best 'recycled' on the plot.

The withered turves make great mulch - I used mine on earthed-up potatoes - and you've got to control the other weed species germinating from seed after all the soil disturbance of getting the couch out...

Anyway, it worked for me, and all of the couch grass eventually ended up as compost spread back on the plot.  S'ppose it depends on how much you value the fertility locked up in the couch grass.  You've got to be a bit keen to process couch turves by withering/bashing, or nuts 

  The alternative  is to stack them in a corner somewhere and watch them fight back - 'there is a green hill far away....'

Tom

[yorkiegal]

thanks for the advice! my plot neighbour is just burning all his, which I see as a terrible waste.

[Abbeyview]

I had a similar problem a few years ago, I stacked the turves roots up in a square heap a metre high,sprayed any signs of green growth with weed killer as it appeared and after two years I had a beautiful heap of loam. The top six inches of heap took a little longer to decompose, I did not cover with anything.
 ( I do not like weed killer but it seemed the best way to succeed.)  

[Plot74]

when i took over my plot i had a lot of couch grass i turned it over and let it dry for a few days broke off most of the soil then put it all into a pile covered with black plastic
after a couple of monthst i turned it all pulling as much root out as icould find and burning it this has now been done three times what i have is a pile of fine soil still covered .
i intend to leave it till next year aware that the seeds will be still active in the soil.
john

[angelavdavis]

I didn't do a lot of clearing on my plot except in two areas which were already cultivated and weedy as I mainly used lasagne beds. 

I lifted the turfs, dried them out and bashed them to remove as much mud as possible.  I filled an old dustbin with water and then put the plants into the dustbin to drown them for a couple of months, then drained off the water for plant food and chucked the couch grass remnants into the compost bin.

[yorkiegal]

just a thought. if i stack my turf up, grass side down, and cover it in black plastic, could i grow my courgettes on top with a bit of shop bought compost added?

[mattwragg94]

just a thought. if i stack my turf up, grass side down, and cover it in black plastic, could i grow my courgettes on top with a bit of shop bought compost added?

theres no reason why that shouldn't work 

[goodtogrow]

Please accept my reflections on your idea, Yorkiegal.

1.  The heat generated by the composting turves may be more than the roots of your courgettes like.

2.  Black plastic will cause even more heat in the rooting zone from the absorption of sunlight.
How about covering the black plastic with, er, couch grass turves?

3.  Would recommend puncturing black plastic before covering with whatever, air being a valuable good thing for the rooting/composting zone.  Air is so good it's gooder than the goodest goodness!

4.  Shop-bought compost costs money.  A few shovelfuls of soil from your plot cost less.  Both will do what you want, if I understand you correctly, which makes for a compelling argument in favour of the soil, but maybe that's just me.

Am always open to alternative points of view, and remain, yours faithfully,

Tom

[yorkiegal]

cheers tom, much appreciated.