Nasty Weeds

Bum! I too have downscaled my grand plans for this year after realising just what a mess lurked below ground as well as above I don't know if couch grass can get that bad (poss bindweed?) but I'm sure it's wise to clear absolutely as much as possible.

Don't get downhearted though! If you pile enough mulch/manure on a section, you can grow crops on top and there are always pots and containers too.

are you sure its couch grass & not bindweed, couch grass looks like this http://www.gardenaction.co.uk/images...rass-roots.jpg
if it is you just need to dig it out bit by bit (same if its bindweed really)
dont be put off, cover up what you know you cant culltivate this year with old carpet, black plastic, or similar and concentrate on smaller sections

Are the roots long sideways, or long deep? Couch grass and nettes go a long way sideways but not very deep, Dock and brambles go deep.

Don't even think about planting on top of bindweed and couch...it will grow up through the mulch and get tangled up in your crops. It will compete with them for food, light and water. Sorry
You should get it all out before you plant; so do a little at a time. Better to do a little patch thoroughly than the whole plot half-heartedly.

Ok, I'm prepared to stand corrected on bindweed but I've definitely read that you can give this a go with couch grass. Not necessarily with the aim of getting brilliant crops but as a 'make the best of it' option if you can't clear everything at once.

Hans Mum I think I might have both bindweed and couch grass, some of the roots look exactly like the photo and go sideways. Oh and just for good measure I have brambles as well.

The weeds will not win, they will die.

thats the way to think and it can be very theraputic

Oh heck, Allie, sounds like you've got a major job there. Have you considered using weedkiller? A systemic herbicide like Roundup (Glyphosate based) will kill the whole plant down to the roots. It might take a couple of applications but even people who are avid organic growers will use herbicide as a one-off treatment right at the start, as the chemical is very shortlived in the soil and won't affect your crops.

If you are set on using organic weed control, another way is to hire a flamegun, which will blister the vegetation and kill it within a couple of weeks. Both of these methods need the foliage to be showing to be in any ways effective.

Don't give up! I would keep with the digging until the weed vegetation starts coming up and then go for judicial use of Roundup, on a calm day so the spray doesn't drift around. Try starting at an edge, maybe the first bit you see when you come into your plot - that way you'll see the difference every time you visit.

A little bit of me is rather enjoying the war with the weeds so for now I will continue to dig out the those roots. I might follow your advice BW once there is some leaves showing.

Let the battle commence.

PS it feels very good to have a place to come and talk about these matters with people who understand. I shall provide updates on the war as it contiunes.

Grrr, I hate bindweed!

Ok, I'm not the most thorough of gardeners, but after a year on my plot I'm still finding bladdy bindweed. I use a glyphosate brush on stuff whenever I see the little shoots poking through.

Hi Allie B

Respect.

hi allie,
weeds are my favorite topic as i'm always clearing then, here's a general guide to them.

brambles - there easy just chop down to the ground and dig out the main root ball

bind weed - root colour is white and is smooth and looks like spagetti , take it out of
ground as fast as possible and in as big a peices as possible.

couch grass - roots are white to brown colour ond very thin with rings of little claws
every few inches , remove as much as possible as fast as you can.

nettles and dock - remove the plants before they seed

mare's tail - brown root will go down to a depth up to 15' and can not be arradicated
by digging as it forms a network of roots that feed the whole system,
In the spring the above ground growth looks like an asparagus spear and
this is the time it will release the seeds and then turn into what looks like a
small christmas tree and this is where it starts feeding the roots for next
year.
the only method know to arradicate this weed is constant hoeing and
weeding but this can still take up to 5 years and any small bit left will feed
the system.

WEEDKILLER DOES NOT WORK ON MARE'S TAIL

I've incountered all of these apart from dock on my plot and have resorted to plastic lined raised beds in the worst bits and seiving the rest down to 1' over the whole plot and by doing this have no roots or stones in my soil .
The stones are used for paths which i'm hoping next winter to be able to walk over the whole plot on stone paths.
I hope the thought of someone in a worse situation than your self would cheer you up abit, there always light at the aend of the tunnel .

Carl it definately helps to know there are others out there doing battle with weeds.

i've had my plot 16 months and still battling with them so don't expet quick results , little and often is best.
just to give you some idea of time scale the last part of the plot i seived was 15' by 15' to a depth of 1' and it took me 60hrs to do but the soil is stone free and root free so will grow just about anything .
look at the plot as a series of small patches and do them right first time and then when you get to the end of plot preperation that will be all the hard work finished rather than cut corners as in the long run it won't pay.
before you start the plot preparation it is always a good idea to make a plan even if it's a rough sketch as it will give you a rough idea where things are going ( don't worryif you change your mind as that is natural as i'm on plan 7 myself).
most of all enjoy the experiance