By Bryony
United Kingdom
How can I tackle tough clumps of weed grass?
Okay, another question...
I have a big problem with big clumps of thick grass at the top of my garden. I forked them out last year but they are back and have spread even further down the lawn. I have mowed over some but it doesn't kill them. They have come back in exactly the same spot as last year, but I am told 'weed and feed' won't kill them as they are a grass. Any ideas on how to tackle this? I do not have the time to dig a new lawn right now. If that is the only option they will have to stay!!
- 21 May, 2010
Answers
You will know if it's couch grass by looking at the roots - very long and white and break off easily. Each bit you leave behind in the ground will develop into a new plant.
21 May, 2010
Having looked at some images just now- yes it is couch grass and it is in the lawn, though some is right at the edge. That part of the garden was originally left wild by the previous owner. I will try digging it out more thoroughly. There is no chance of ruining that part of the lawn- nothing to ruin!
21 May, 2010
If its couch you'd be better of just mowing it regularly, as often as you mow the lawn - it's the very devil to dig out completely, always comes back.
21 May, 2010
As Bamboo says, it's almost impossible to eradicate, even in a regularly dug vegetable garden. I was reading recently of some people starting an allotment who had taken to sieving each spadeful of soil to take out every piece of couch grass root, and even then, it came back.
Regular mowing should make other varieties of grass flourish at the couch's expense, so I was always told.
The only other remedy would be to weedkill the entire area with glyphosate at least twice over a few months, and then resow the lawn completely with a fine lawn seed. But even then, if there is couch growing nearby it will find its way back.
21 May, 2010
Previous question
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I'm not clear whether these clumps are in the lawn or growing outside of the lawn - depends what type of grass they are -if its couch, then very difficult to eradicate, but usually unnoticeable if mown regularly . If some other kind of grass, it should be readily possible to dig out - by the roots, though not necessarily easily.
21 May, 2010