[markp76]

Its my nemisis at the moment as my plot was just a patch of meadow until a couple of weeks ago, Is it a case of removing all signs of visable root, even that which looks dead and lifeless? And if so is it compostable or is it a burn it job?

[PennyS]

I sympathise with you.  Couch grass is my nemesis too, my whole plot was covered with it when I took it on (it had been grazing land).

I've been working my way round it slowly since then, forking it all out and removing all of the white roots.  I'm piling it all up and it will be covered with a sheet and left to rot, I expect it'll take ages.

I covered most of the plot in plant-through membrane which is helping to weaken it all, so it's easier to remove as I work my way round.

If it's really dead and looks like straw it doesn't seem to return, but I've been caught out by thinking I had a dead area, whereas underneath it was developing lovely strong roots ... I think the only way to really get rid is to fork it all through systematically and remove anything remotely alive.

Good luck!!

[compostqueen]

I'd deffo burn it. Here it sizzle. So satisfying.  Don't rotovate or you'll make the problem very much worse.  It does succumb to weed killer but if you don't want to go down that route you can get it out by hand as you're clearing your beds.  

[markp76]

Cant use weed killer the plot has to remain 100% organic

[madcat]

Burn it, drown it or give it to the council for very hi temp composting.  It just laughs at you from a home compost heap ....

(Oh yes - did I mention that ours was a field 2 years ago and we are still arguing with the stuff?  And the buttercup?     But after 2 years the wireworm has about gone    )

[compostqueen]

I don't use it either and I went down the route of using heavy duty sheet mulch to cover up my plot as I progressed slowly with clearing it. I've still not lifted all the mulch yet but hopefully the last 4 m wide strip will come off very soon. I checked under it a few years ago and there was still couch there when I stuck the fork in and lifted some soil so I put the mulch back and it's been covered ever since.  If I do come across it I try and pull it up carefully so it doesn't snap.  It comes up in long, spagetti-like lengths    

If you're not going to use chemicals then you'll have to be jolly patient but it you do a bed at a time, planting as you go, then at least you can watch something growing while you're tackling the weeding  

[Flowerpower136]

Just something you have to live with and tackle as and when.
Wouldn't put it in the compost.  Burn it or bin it. . . . or borrow some chickens!

[monsta]

give it to the council for very hi temp composting. 

that doesn't kill it! the council thought it would be good to put some of its compost on a couple of there rose beds, and with in two weeks you couldn't see the roses for weeds!

tip don't buy council made compost as they cant control what people throw in the skips and bags they take away. if you did pray it doesn't contain jap bind weed! 

[paintedlady]

give it to the council for very hi temp composting. 

that doesn't kill it! the council thought it would be good to put some of its compost on a couple of there rose beds, and with in two weeks you couldn't see the roses for weeds!

tip don't buy council made compost as they cant control what people throw in the skips and bags they take away. if you did pray it doesn't contain jap bind weed! 

or diseases like onion rot and clubroot 

[leightonglenys]

The only sure way is to pick  the pieces out as you dig and keep on hoeing. I am trying Mexican marigolds this year they suppose to be helpful in getting rid of couch grass

[PennyS]

I'd deffo burn it. Here it sizzle. So satisfying.  

Wish I could - I've piles of the stuff but we aren't allowed bonfires on our lotties.  I just can't bear the thought of trailering it all back home to burn it there!

So the pulled up grass is heaped up and it'll be covered over until it's given up.  (Which might be never).
 

[strangerachael]

tomatoes are supposed to kill it off if you grow them near it. I've never tried but it might be worth a go? At the very worst you'll end up with an awful lot of tomatoes. 

[BostonInbred]

I suppose the last desperate measure would be to plant the plot up with Fern.

Nothing grows round a fern because it injects cyanide into the soil..........

[Jome]

I've got it on my plot which I only took over in Jan. I found this article online (video) by Alys Fowler of gardeners world, it's got some really useful tips on clearing uncultivated sites. One idea I've used is to pull out all the weeds and tufts, seal them in black plastic bin liners to rot down anaerobically for a couple of years. You will need a space to store the bin bags or you could cover the ground that has been dug with cardboard to suppress new weeds and use the bags to weigh down the cardboard, to stop it blowing away. Eventually the cardboard will rot down and you can use the slop the weeds have produce as liquid feed a couple of years later.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/video/2010/jan/05/allotments-winter

[theakston_uk]

Looks like I'm in the same boat with couch grass. I'm adding some pics of what I started with and what it was like before new growth started a week or so ago. I sprayed last week with roundup, but reading this I'm thinking I should have mowed it right back before spraying. I'm hoping to rotivate the plot on Monday and leave grass paths in between the beds. I don't want to be wasting my time rotivating then having to dig through the beds again. Let me know your thoughts on this, cheers