[simbamara]

Hello everyone
Wishing you all a Happy New Year
Part of my allotment is covered with grass. I have dug it out a couple of times but it keeps on growing back. I have not used any chemicals as I am trying to grow organic produce.
What to do please ?
Thanks
Simbamara

[Potterer]

Hi. Do you know if it’s couch grass? It has a mass of whitish long roots. If it’s that, unfortunately it will grow from even a small piece of root left behind. The usual solution is to keep digging it out and you will have less and less each time ( but unlikely to get rid of it completely). Have you also looked at ‘no dig’ methods on Charles Dowding website? That’s meant to kill off grasses without needing weed killer or digging.

[snowdrops]

Hi. Do you know if it’s couch grass? It has a mass of whitish long roots. If it’s that, unfortunately it will grow from even a small piece of root left behind. The usual solution is to keep digging it out and you will have less and less each time ( but unlikely to get rid of it completely). Have you also looked at ‘no dig’ methods on Charles Dowding website? That’s meant to kill off grasses without needing weed killer or digging.

Yes with perseverance you can get rid of couch grass by no dig. Apply a few layers of thick cardboard, taking care to overlap the edges as this is to exclude the light,( plants get their energy from light. Then apply a mulch as thick as you can muster . In this country composted manure or garden waste is advised to help minimise slug habitat. Then as you see any grass regrowth either hoe it of or trowel it out if it’s a big clump. You can also cover with a light surpressing membraneover the top of the mulch if the grass is really bad, you could then plant through that for larger plants ie squashes,brassicas. Either keep it covered for a good year & you will have succeeded in killing all but the most persistent pieces if it is couch grass & they will be the bits that have managed to photosynthesised from getting to the light

[simbamara]

Thank you Potterer & Snowdrop
It seems to be couch grass
Just making sure i understood it well , put a layer of cardboard boxes ( or black cloth would do also??) , then a layer of mulch , like Council compost on top ??
Thanks
Simba

[snowdrops]

Flattened cardboard boxes followed by well rotted mulch. You don’t want any fabric of any sort underneath the mulch otherwise plant roots won’t get through & you’ll do yourself a mischief trying to dig it out.
If you want to you could put either black plastic or membrane on the very top. Plastic will stop light & water getting through which is not ideal but membrane will let water through but not light. To cut the expense you can do away with the membrane & plastic & just hoe religiously, depends on scale of ground & how much time you have really. Look at Charles Dowdings website & John on here has posted a diary entry about no dig.