[purron]

What I have been doing when it is cold is:

Dig over and weed all the easy to acces weeds but when I come into contact with a deep rooted weed I slice the top off (so the weed tip is white) and directly squirt some glyphosate to it then carry on.

So far I havnt noticed any new growth, so it seems to be working, and I'm not pooring the glyphosate all over the place.

I read somewhere that glyphosate can affect the crops for years to come.

Not sure how true that is tho.

Lee

[lobot]

It seems to me that to some extent whatever you feel works for you is right.
I've recently taken over a plot that is covered in couch grass.  It's like spaghetti when you start digging!  I considered spraying the whole plot, but decided against it as I'm not 100% sure about any lasting effects.
So, I'm going slow and digging a bit at a time, and I've covered some of the plot to try and knock back some of the weeds until I can get to that area.
If you want to grow organically there's no choice but to remove the weeds.  On the other hand, if you're not too fussed then I imagine it's really satisfying to watch a whole plot load of weeds die off in such a short time.

[Kate and her Ducks]

As it's obvious to all that i am a newbie clearing my plot i have been the recipient of much (sometimes conflicting) advice.
As much of it is a mixture of grasses, including couch - I have been strongly advised to do the following
A) Dig it all over and bury the turfs then rake it out in the spring (Bill 78 years young, my lovely row rep)
B) Fork it all out and compost it (which is what I've been doing slowly)
 Ken
C) Get a rotavator on it (not keen on that - where are the seeds going?) - margaret
D) Glycosphate it and cover it with plastic until the spring - Chris
E) Sod the glycosphate just use plastic - Fred
F) Strim then dig -  can't remember their name!

All lovely well meaning people, who go away shaking their heads as i carry on - perhaps i'll have to try 2 or 3 different approaches as an experiment - anyway what are your opinions please!??

Only 6 opinions! Lucky you.

Oh, thats more like it. Loads of opinions. Take your pick! How can you be wrong  I love gardening, it's so much more art than science.

[Yabba]

I love gardening, it's so much more art than science.

Great, now I'm a dodo artist as well

¥

[richyrich7]

I love gardening, it's so much more art than science.

Great, now I'm a dodo artist as well

¥

not with them dahlias you ain't  

[Janeymiddlewife]

Thanks for all the opinions and reasonings! I suppose my reluctance to dig is that I find it quite difficult to get the spade through, but i can get the fork under it and having got that far it seems easier to just bung it in the barrow and dump it on top of the brambles. In my darker moments the glycosphate is tempting i have to say though

[richyrich7]

Perhaps you ought to be trying an Azada or chillington type hoe rather than a spade. Thay are supposed to be easier than a spade using a similar action to an axe and letting the weight of it do most of the work.
IMHO there's nothing wrong with using roundup or similar, it quite often gives you the headway that you need on tough weeds, I have treated both my plots with it on a various occasions.

[Salmo]

Rounup is supposed to be one of the safest chemicals and it breaks down into harmless chemicals on contact with organic matter. The Environment Agency approve its use on water weeds in lakes and streams and they are pretty fussy.

Although I know it is best to use no herbicides or other chemicals it is sometimes the only way forward.
As with medicines we should choose the one with least side effects.
Thank goodness we have got rid of DDT, organophosphorus insecticides, nicotene and at long last derris.
A few years ago weeds were attacked with a derivative of the infamous Agent Orange (245 T brushwood killer), weedol (grammoxone), aminotriazole and others which either hung about in the soil or did bad things to wildlife, the food chain and people.

One of the things that is only improving slowly is the instruction on garden chemicals. Too often it says add so many ml to a litre but is very vague about how to apply the minimum amount to do the job. This is especially bad with insectacides and fungicides. I am sure much of it is overdosed as a result.

[PinkTequila]

A spaade should cutn through pretty much anything, make sure your spade is sharp, digging it a lot easier with a good sharp spade.

[vegmandan]

I've no qualms about using Glyphosate especially on an old allotment.

Let's face it, god only knows what's been used on the same plot in years gone by, when folks would use all manner of deadly stuff like Mercury and Arsenic based stuff which could still be lingering in the soil to some extent anyway. :shock:


So using some Glyphosate which is considered "Safe" by the overbearing Safety Police who seem to want to ban anything these days shouldn't worry you too much.

[woodburner]

Thanks for all the opinions and reasonings! I suppose my reluctance to dig is that I find it quite difficult to get the spade through, but i can get the fork under it and having got that far it seems easier to just bung it in the barrow and dump it on top of the brambles. In my darker moments the glycosphate is tempting i have to say though

Actually that's what I do.
I find that using a fork leaves the couch grass roots nice and long rather than chopping them into shorter bits, so I have fewer bits to pick out. The grass itself is not too thick though as it was choked by nettles for 3-4 years.
I use the brambles (easy burning) to burn the roots, all of which are easier to burn if it stops raining for a few days!!

[rhian13]

I was told to cut down the top growth then:

B) Fork it all out and compost it (which is what I've been doing slowly)

I plan to mulch the areas I have dug to prevent re-growth, and I expect to hoe the ones that have escaped. I think there will be years of seeds in the soil. In my plot the soil beneath the grass was compacted, so at least the initial digging helps the compaction and aerates the soil?

I have to say our new couch plot was not nearly as bad as our rubble-strewn, back breaking, bramble patch (where herbicides did look rather tempting.......what a dilemma).

I'd like a scythe asap as that grass is going to keep growing.........and maybe one of those azadas - followed by a no-dig approach  

[Yorkie]

I'd like a scythe asap as that grass is going to keep growing.........and maybe one of those azadas - followed by a no-dig approach  

Sounds like 2 items to go on a prezzie list if anyone asks ...