[casper]

Hi, Well this is it, I am really dishartened again, Am I ever going to win couch grass, Cleared three beds, decided to start a new bed but give the other three another once over and guess what a load more couch. I have not anywhere near cleared my plot, I really want to grow this year. Is there anything thats not fussy about weeds that I can get in the ground veg, plants or flowers. Anything thats not too fussy and would work to out space weeds. My old Dad used to say just get stuff in and eventually the weeds will become less but everything I read is about well prepared soil and well weeded. Please can anybody tell me if there is soemthing I can plant in soil that is dug over just the once. At present I am digging out weeds,im returning, digging them out again and so on. I have been weeding by digging down really far but reallistically if I continue to dig my allotment so thoroughly I am never going to get anywhere. I dig about a spade and a half down so hard work for me. Sorry my post is long, but really fed up 

[Trillium]

Try putting down a layer of flattened cardboard boxes over the couch areas, and weight them down so they won't take off in wind. In a few weeks you'll find they're growing near the surface struggling to find sun and can easily be pulled or dug out.

[prakash_mib]

your dad is right.
there is no point in digging weed out and doing nothing to dig the weed again.
you can do two thing when you've done the weeding. Cover with weed fabric/polythene taurpauline/cardboad (never ever try to use old carpet and other nasty stuffs)
put in some seads like cress/mustard etc on the beds which are not being used but left open. These would grow and suppress weeds and keep the nutrients as you can dig and turn them over.
or just turn the soil before you plant something.
 
good luck and never lose your heart... I've been digging crouch grass roots for the past month or so because I was careless last year and it has taken over my plot. and the trick of removing crouch crass is to dig the roots out. otherwise you wont win. 

[prakash_mib]

sorry to add again.
Spade is not good for removing crouch grass. you should use fork and you dont need to go beyond length of fork or spade. length and a half is too deep unless you are digging out serious dandys... but all in all weedy ground calls for a good fork than a spade.

[SUTTY1]

Try potato, dig when planting and remove grass roots, romove more roots when earthing up and more again when harvesting, then cover with cardboard and keep wet. When you dig again in winter/spring it will be much better and all this years work will produve a harvest

[casper]

Oh thank you. Yes I think that was my problem. I did not do enough at the end of last season and it had taken over. I have been digging it out since feb, I think I was trying to have several clear nicely dug over beds, then plant stuff, but I think the secret it to immediately plant behind myself. My worry was that if I left any trace of the nasty stuff it would strangle anything I planted. I have beds I am not going to get to thoroughly dig over this year but may get the chahnce to give the once over. What do you thibk of wild flower seeds. You know the type in shakers that you scatter. I wondered if these would fill some spaces. Ta Casper  

[New shoot]

Plant big stuff that can cope with a bit of weed and you'll get a crop - maybe not as big as if the bed was totally clear, but still worthwhile.

Potatoes are a great idea and I would add squash, courgettes and chard to that.  You could also scatter mixed salad leaves, rocket and the like instead of your wildflowers and use these as cut and come again 

[casper]

Thanks need two forks, I spade while OH forks. I like the sound of weeding when planting, earthing and harvesting, seems so much easier that way, I just felt I was losing the fight because I just seem to find it everwhere. I have raised beds and dismantled them to get the roots that were growing underneath them.  Maybe I am been to fussy  

[AmandaLouise]

Hi Casper

I really empathise, our allotment is riddled with a weed thats called devils fingers or something like that, I forget the official name.  It is so well rooted.  One measured a metre long, and it has been soul destroying removing each by hand, took me 4 hours yesterday and 4 hours today to clear a bed.  16 black buckets of the stuff.  And that is the second time too, I have just not stopped weeding, and have had many regrets on  getting the allotment.  however two beds done now and planted up, an onion bed and potato bed, so there is joy on the horizon for you I am sure.  Ours had tonnes of couch, its really hard to pull out.  We found that by digging hard around the piece, it comes out as a big massive clump.

Good luck, I think what has kept us going is the other allotment people, as they are very encouraging, and given us lots of advice.

Amanda 

[casper]

Thanks Amanda, I know you just have to keep to digging till you find the root. It is rewarding when you get to the root, but not when its all you seem to do. I did three beds and filled about 10 bins bags of it. Just going to go and plant as much as I can even of the soil is not so perfect. I think if i wait for perfection I will never plant anything 

[AmandaLouise]

I know all I do is worry about the blooming weeds!  It was very satisfying looking at two beds done this weekend though, but I know those long devil weeds will still be there and growing, but turning a blind eye and hoping I got rid of the majority.  I know at the allotment, a few people have said they still get couchgrass, and these are the experienced owners whose allotment looks immaculate and have all sorts of wonderful things growing.  It takes years to get right I guess.  But I dont see why you cant start planting, especially some of the really hardy vegetables.  Our plot had not been worked for 3 years, what a mess, when I was weeding I found some parsnips growing, so I took them home and cooked them.  How mad is that?!

Heard some where that certain weeds indicate good soil too, if thats any consolation!!

[ilan]

As said before potatoes are a great ground clearer, but I also use a lot of cardboard and grow thro this making just small holes to plant  hold it in place with a few brickes or stones it will rot down if we get a wet summer or just compost in the autum when any weed roots will be on the surface  .

[angelavdavis]

Couch grass and bindweed are our two perils.  

Our tip is to water the bed (if needed), then cover whole bed in a thick layer newspaper, wet newspaper thoroughly and then top with well rotted manure or compost.  We then start crops off in modules and plant these through the newspaper by cutting a small cross and planting through.

The newspaper will stop the worst of the bindweed/couch grass from taking hold as well as keeping the bed well mulched to stop it drying out.  Usually, any weeds that do appear are weakened and easily pulled out.  Even if you are not ready to plant straight away, we cover with newspaper as described above then plant through it later when ready.

The other tip we would provide is to get rid of any grass paths, as we found that the majority of grass was couch grass and we were always fighting the couch grass to maintain the edges of our beds.  By getting rid of the grass paths (by simply covering with weed suppressant after giving it a short mow) and mulching the paths with bark chips, we found this prevented the spread of couch grass from the paths into the bed.

[casper]

Haha I heard that too, that lots of weeds mean good soil. It is bad when you come home to do your own garden and find the flaming stuff there too!! Love that you took ye parsnip home. I loved the other week I worked really hard. The man next door gave me a bag of parsnips he had left in over winter. They were massive. Yep mine had been not cared for for about three tears too. I have been on it about 1 and a half years but still trying to get on top of the weeds x

[casper]

Wow thank you. Some great ideas, I did not know about the chard, squash etc, or the newspaper trick, defo going to do them all, at least I can grow and my allotment officer can see the that the allotment appears clear, defo agree about the paths, mine are grass and thats where the couch seems to originate, really glad you told me, thet are defo going x