Couch grass

Symptoms

Couch grass spreads easily to form dense mats of underground stems. It grows among cultivated plants, competing for water and nutrients and reducing crop yields in vegetable beds.

Find it on: established flowerbeds, freshly dug soil, cracks in paving, lawns, borders edging lawns

Time to act: all year round

Problem categories

Overview

Couch grass often grows in among cultivated plants. It's a clump-forming perennial that spreads through the soil via underground stems or stolons, and is easily spread by cultivation. It can creep from lawns to infest flower and vegetable beds. Couch also produces flowerheads that are followed by seeds, allowing the further spread of this weed.

Solution

Couch grass spreads easily to form dense mats of underground stems. It grows among cultivated plants, competing for water and nutrients and reducing crop yields in vegetable beds.

Organic

Dig out all the roots and underground stems of this grass, especially at the edge of infested lawns. Where couch is growing in permanently planted borders, it's easier to lift all the plants and tease out the weed from the rootballs. Regular slashing of the grass with a sharp knife will further weaken and loosen the plant.

Chemical

Use a systemic weedkiller on couch grass in spring. Re-apply throughout the growing season at four- to six-week intervals.

Discuss this problem

Talkback: Couch grass

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flowerbum 24/11/2011 at 15:27

great solution! thanks

kateking 24/11/2011 at 15:29

I remember watching the programme and seeing an alternative to furniture oil but can't remember whether it was vegetable/sunflower/olive oil. I have just bought some wooden furniture so would like to start the way I mean to go on!! Any help out there? Cheers Kate

dking45 24/11/2011 at 15:29

Our alltoment is inundated with mares tail, how can we destroy this pest of a weed?

MarilynSmith 13/01/2012 at 20:20

A few years ago it was possible to buy a weedkiller that only killed grasses and didn't affect the plants growing around it, then it disappeared from the shelves! It was brilliant but now my garden is filled with this grass again - impossible to dig it all out. My son suggests napalm - anyone got any better ideas?

James Allen 02/02/2012 at 11:54

in areas where herbicides aren't a viable option, cover the ground in dark rags, cloths, or even bin liners, remove sun light from any plants equation and it can not photosynthesise this will starve the plant and kill it outright

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