In the lawn or in the bed – field grasses are a real nightmare for many hobby gardeners. Wild grasses with root shoots are difficult to get rid of. In today's article, we're taking one of the most stubborn weeds around and telling you how to combat couch grass.
Fight couch grass: These methods are unsuccessful
If common couch grass spreads in the garden, it is difficult to get rid of it. The plant is very adaptable and quickly forms many root shoots and rhizomes. If only part of these roots remain in the soil, a new plant can grow from them. When the weather is good, couch grass rhizomes can grow up to 100 cm in length per year. They spread in the upper layer of soil and can displace other shallow-rooted plants and conquer large areas in the garden within 1 - 2 years.
The couch grass has no special demands on the soil; it thrives just as well in poor soil as it does in nutrient-rich soil. They prefer a location in full sun such as fields, flower meadows and lawns. Couch grass can also spread in sunny flower and vegetable beds. The wild grass must therefore be removed as quickly as possible to prevent further problems. But how?
Pulling out the weeds in the bed is laborious and not effective
What athelps other weed species, proves to be less effective against couch grass. The weeds cannot be permanently removed by hooking or pulling. Even more so - if root parts remain in the soil, each of these parts will form a new plant. In addition, mechanical removal with a hoe is very laborious.
Clearing couch grass – only recommended for individual plants in the lawn
You can clear couch grass if you notice individual plants in the garden. However, it is very important that you not only include the above-ground parts of the plant, but also all of the roots. If it rained the day before, you can clear the entire plant without much effort.
Home remedies and herbicides against couch grass can cause damage
There are some herbicides and home remedies that have proven to be effective in the fight against couch grass. However, you should be very careful with them and always make sure that they: 1) are approved and 2) do not harm other plants. Vinegar and salt water can destroy soil life and also destroy useful or ornamental plants. Some herbicides can permanently change the nature of the soil and reach underwater.
Displace couch grass: This is how you get rid of the weeds in your bed for good!
An effective way to get rid of couch grass for good is to displace the weeds. This is particularly recommended for couch grass in the bed. You can try different variants:
Fight couch grass: Potatoes crowd out weeds
The couch grass can be displaced by various deep-rooted plants. These can successfully compete with weeds for water and resources. The crops also have a low stature and produce lush foliage that shades the ground. Potatoes, which successfully displace couch grass, are well suited for this purpose.
Green manure: Perennial grasses such as red clover help against weeds
Another variant would be to plant the bed with perennial plants such as red clover, Persian clover or alfalfa. They displace weeds and enrich the soil at the same time. You can also cut the grass regularly and then simply leave the clippings standing. This means that the wild grasses will receive little sunlight and will die. The most important thing with this method is to be patient.
Fight couch grass in the lawn
If you have couch grass in your lawn, you can try different strategies. If there are few plants visible, try watering them with boiling water. The plants will yellow and die after several days.
Another method would be to give the lawn liquid nitrogen fertilizer (120g per 100 square meters) every two weeks. Start fertilizing in May and stop in September. The goal: to strengthen the grass and promote rapid growth so that it crowds out weeds. However, this only works if it rains more frequently in summer or if you water the lawn.
Another variant, if the summer is rainy, is to cover the affected areas in the lawn with corrugated cardboard and then add additional mulch. The cardboard will rot over the next few months and the wild grasses will also die. This process is also very slow and requires patience. In September you can then reseed the bare spots in the lawn.
However, if the summer is dry, you can instead cover the affected areas of the lawn with non-transparent, black fleece. So the plants underneath will suffocate.
