[bazh]

Is it worth using them at this time of year or should I wait until the spring?

Thanks

[gregmcalister]

You need to wait until the weeds are in active growth so it's better to wait until springtime.

[bazh]

Thanks thought as much just impatient and want to get my new plot sorted.

[Salmo]

On things like couch grass there is often enough green leaf in the Winter to take glyphosate in, and if the weather turns mild for a spell it will work.

The limiting factors are that the leaves need to be dry when it is applied and there needs to be at least 6 hours without rain afterwards. Rain will also include heavy dew.

In practice this means wait until the Spring.

[paintedlady]

Bazh - please consider this option!  During the winter months, digging & pulling up the weeds & grass roots are much easier and probably better in the long run, as these are fairly dormant now.  By spring time you will have the ground nicely turned over and areas fairly weed free for the new growing season.  

If you wait until then to start using glyphosate, you will find yourself playing catch up all the time and even more depressing, having to deal with a new crop of annual weeds sprouting from dormant seeds (we all get these when soil is turned over) as the soil warms up (glyphosate will have no effect on the actual seed)  Worse still, if you have bindweed, I have found this to emerge much later when most of your crop is in the ground so using blanket weedkiller over large areas is out of the question.

To add to the delay, you should ideally wait a couple of weeks or more for the glyphosate to take effect, AND biodegrade so that you can safely plant out - when the weather is lovely and warm, you'll be kicking yourself that you didn't tackle some of the weeding and digging much earlier in the year while things were quiet.

So, nothing is really stopping you from getting your new plot sorted now     In my opinion it is the best time to have got a plot so that you are all ready for the big sow and planting out  

Good luck with your new plot!

[bazh]

Paintedlady thank you for you advice, I will be digging and weeding through the winter to remove as much as possible, but fully expect that once spring comes and everything comes back to life that I will have to give it a dose of glyphosate it really is that infested.

[Christine]

Who says that there is an off season for gardening when you have couch grass?