[Chris Sutton]

Hello folks,
I'm new here and fairly new to growing veg n coloured plants. I'm after advice on how, in the long term, to deal with what I think is Twitch/Couch Grass in my veg plot. The plot has been out of action for nearly 2 years (other work commitments) but I am making an effort to get back into it. I have been using Roundup in the past to try and keep control of weeds but want to go as organic as I can. I have cleared and dug over my plot just to find quite a bit of this weed. I have pulled as much out by hand as reasonably practicable but I know even the smallest bit will grow back. I read on here 'Henry's' advice to cover with turnip seeds to force out the Twitch, does this work. My other thoughts were to just see this season through with keeping on top of weeding, and then for winter cover the plot with cardboard and black dampproof membrane ( I read that somewhere). Your thoughts and advice please. I work more than full time so my gardening time is limited. Kind regards. Chris

[New shoot]

It will grow back from the smallest bit of root even through deep mulch, so I am dubious about the turnips. I have not tried it though.

You could try growing through weed membrane. This works well for big space filling plants like squash and would mean you could make a section very low maintenance to save time.

You will get off bits of grass growing through the planting holes, but just keep pulling out what you can.

Buy decent quality weed membrane and peg it down well to exclude light.  That should help kill off the grass to a large extent.

[rowlandwells]

we found using roundup was the most effective way to rid us of our couch grass and saved us  a lot of time digging  couch grass out the ground its really clean now although if you've got plenty of time on your hands and not to bothered about planting this season then you mite rid yourself of couch grass with weed membrane as  an alternative but we found it took some time and held us up planting

[mumofstig]

When I tried to kill couch with membrane, on beds, the roots just grew under it until they reached the other side. So that's unlikely to work unless you are covering a really large area.
Glyphosate seems to be the easiest way to deal with a lot of it, just to clear the plot. Then in future years it isn't too hard to dig out any small incursions

[jezza]

Hello use glyphosate at the recommended rate for couch grass, twitch,wickens and leave till the top growth is going yellow to much and to often can make weeds resistant to weedkiller, after 6 weeks any new growth can be be sprayed again,if you can get a tractor and drag in that will pull the dead roots up to the surface then they can be burnt  if allowed   jezza

[Chris Sutton]

Thanks Jezza. I did originally try going over with my new blow torch, but this obviously killed the tops of weeds in general, the green stuff took forever, but I've now dug over and exposed the roots. I will try the blow torch on the roots before I rotavate, then maybe carefully spray any new growth with glyphospate and general weeding. I can see me being busy every weekend this year getting rid of the stuff. Cheers. Chris