[needssomehelp]

i have an area of my 2nd plot that is so bad with couch grass roots that i cant even get a hand spade in without hitting bunches of the stuff, my question is, will glyphosphate kill the roots of couch grass if i let the grass grow and then spray it? or do i have to dig it over and hand pull the roots  


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[simonwatson]

It should kill it, but it needs time to get down into the roots. Give it a good spray and then leave it two to three weeks, spraying any new growth in the mean time.


(Edit to spelling in title)

[Ropster]

yes it will kill it, but the roots will still be there, just dead so you will still have to dig them out

[gazza975526570]

Agreed

Mine was the same - full of the stuff - some i just dug out and other parts i sprayed first - as stated you still get the roots out but they come out much easier

Just do a bit at a time though

[Goldfinger]

I've just read on my 'veg calendar' that , if you plant Swede where couch grass grows, it'll wilt and die!

Anyone heard of / done this?? And does it work?

[DD.]

It's alledged that turnips have the same effect.

[totalnovice]

I have grown swede for the last two years and have had couch grass in amongst the rows  my grass must be super dooper couch grass. (typical    )

[DD.]

I've seen quite a few posts alledging that this works.

None saying that it has worked.

[Growster...]

Afraid it's the big dig-out method, no other way works, although the weed killer will make the roots go wiry as well as dead.

We actually used a spade to dig a few spits, then clouted each clod (this was back in the days when we had rain...), to release the roots.

Yes, there were a few pieces of root left behind, but we'll have much less to do next year.

[Weston grower]

Also read somewhere that Couch doesnt like being disturbed. So even if you dont get it all the first time - it should be easier the second, third, etc.

Worked for me. The first year i had my plot it was full of the stuff. Got barrow loads out. Second year got bucket fulls out. This year not much at all.

Regards, WG

If you dont start you cant finish.

[bigben]

I dont think it is either or, I would do both - dig out everything you can then nuke with glysphosphate when the stuff you missed starts to pop up. If you spray first you are still going to have to dig out the roots anyway.

[needssomehelp]

have given it a good spray, will wait for it to do its magic and then start diggin   i