Kitchen Garden Forum

I covered a weedy/grassy patch of my allotment with blackplastic in the middle of winter and have just been clearing it.

There is just a small amount of yellow grass on the surface now, but in patches there is quite a bit of root matter lower down in the soil still. This is mainly either white or yellowy/brown and up to 3-4mm thick. Some of it is quite tough or in what looks almost like bunches.

Is this the remains of grass roots?

I've tried to remove it, but there are so many pieces that some must still be in there. Do you think it will propogate now the plastic's off?

Any suggestions?

I think the white stuff might be ground elder and the yellow a grass weed.

Garlic Guy, can you manage a phot of it in situ?

Sounds like couch to me.

Nettles have yellow roots too, although these are more of a bright yellow.
You'll soon find out what it all is, when it starts sprouting up again!

Jenny Green wrote:Nettles have yellow roots too,

That's a good guess, as there were some nettles in the original plot.

>>You'll soon find out what it all is, when it starts sprouting up again!

Mmm, thanks!

Hello Garlic Guy.

You didn't say how deep the root were. Nettle roots don't go very deep, and I think couch are thiner and white. My guess is bind weed. If it gets restricted it dose bunch up. Like the others said you'll find out soon.

Happy gardening.

PT

The roots were generally between 4-8 inches deep (yes, there were a few of them).

Garlic_Guy, have been thinking about your roots.
They are going to bug me till you determine what they are.

Dug up some raspberries yesterday from my old plot to put in their new homw and found where the couch was rampant a thatch of roots as you describe.

Do any of you roots have any shoots coming out yet?
Or have you managed to kill them?

Regards, Peter.

Hi Colin,
At 4-8 inches they could be a great many things such as Rose Bay Willowherb, Enchanters Nightshade or Perennial Sow Thistle and no doubt a great many others. I suspect you will not have got them all out so in the fullness of time they are going to show and then we will Know and rest easier in our beds.

Hi Colin,
I have just read my previous posting and it reads somewhat sarcastic but I can assure you it was not meant to be.

Johnboy wrote:Hi Colin,
I have just read my previous posting and it reads somewhat sarcastic but I can assure you it was not meant to be.

No worries - I respect your advice!

You and others have reassured me that I've done as much as I can. My main concern was going to be that unless I cleared them all, they would run rampant over this years crop & affect it. I think what you are all advising is that I should just watch to see what (if anything comes up) and deal with it then.

I'm going to invest in a good hoe (I previously relied on a "claw" which was good for breaking up the soil, but left the weeds intact).

One more point John - if you post something and later want to change it, you can use the little button marked "Edit" over to the right of your message. This only applies to your own messages (otherwise all sorts of mishcief could happen!).

Hi Garlic Guy

It sounds like couch to me. However, if you want to be on the safe side, dig the buggar up and put it into a pot. That way, if it's something horrible you've got rid of it. If not, you can always transplant it somewhere else. I'd err on the side of caution.

I had the same thing when I first started, left the roots in and it was couch. Just made the problem worse.

If it is couch, it will appear to be segmented, sometimes it looks yellowish, sometimes quite brown, and the ends will be quite sharply pointed as they quest ever further into your precious crops! Also the roots are quite stiff and 'whippy' - they come out suspiciously easily but beware, because they are in segments they are brittle and it's all too easy to leave bits behind.