Kitchen Garden Forum

Hello Everyone,
I was reading somewhere that if you plant turnip seed it will deter couch grass - has anyone come across this/is there any truth in it ?

Thanks
Hilary

Hi Hilary

If you google turnips and couch you only come up with similar questions on other forums.

I suspect it is an old wives tale, as it doesn't get a mention in this Defra document:

http://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/organic ... /couch.pdf

Hi Alan,

Thanks for that I feared it was so - sadly no pigs allowed on the allotment!

Hilary

Hi Hilary,
Pigs are not that good at removing Couch Grass they spread it as well as eat it. Their wonderful habits of getting rid of Couch Grass is yet another Myth!
JB.

Thanks JB - there never is a quick easy way to remove these pernicious weeds!
Hilary

When we first gardened here we had clay soil that set hard in summer and when trying to eradicate couch grass it was difficult because in hard soil small bits of root broke off and regrew, however after a few years of mulching and adding lots of organic matter the soil is now in a much more moist and crumbly condition and it is much easier to get the root out whole and there is far less couch to remove - just a few bits round the edges of the raised beds where some root persists under the wood beams. My new raised beds have no wood surround and are now clear.

Hi NB,
I had 5 acres of nothing but Couch Grass to clear what would you have suggested over 30 years ago? We used Pigs and the situation got worse by the year. It is true that Pigs eat Couch Grass and they also cut up masses of small bits that fall from the sides of their mouths and they then snout into the soil.
Sadly there was no Roundup then, although you would not have used it, but I would have and that is the only way to give yourself a fighting chance. If you do it properly you use Roundup once and never need to use it again on productive land.
JB.

This is Hilary's thread, not mine Johnboy.

Hi NB,
We have to be so careful lest the Roundup police cause a stir!
JB.

Hi,
Well lI am not going to apologise for the fact that I have today spot sprayed the couch grass at the edge of the beds with Roundup in a bid to stop it spreading into the beds from the turf paths. I know the answer is not to have the paths but ...............
Hilary