Problem Weed!

Wondering if anyone can help!? I have a bizarre type of grass going mad in my garden! It looks like a normal grass but on closer inspection(pulling it up) the roots are very tough. Also,the roots have pointed,white,easily detachable ends-which are the seeds which don't hesitate to grow when seperated. My gardening expert next door is, unfortunately, confused as to what it could be. I keep turning the soil over and find fresh roots ready to reign again and have yet another great patch waiting to be delt with.Help!

 

Sounds like couch grass.

 

Defintely couch grass! I have just dug over a 15' by 3' flower bed and filled two buckets with the wretched stuff!

Trouble is, if you leave even a tiny bit of root it will grow all over again. I believe some people call it 'devil's roots' on account of the way it spreads under ground far more than it shows on top.

Only one answer, do as I just did and dig the whole area over about 10" deep and sift through the earth for every scrap. I have heard that, providing it's not got too much of a hold, if you keep pulling out the green, the roots eventually give up and die but the question is, who has the most stamina!!!

Good luck!

 

Don't give up! I moved to this house 9 years ago and the WHOLE garden was over run with couch (even the lawn - which had to be "skipped" and re-laid), I dug up any decent plants as I found them & isolated them till enough ground was clear (though not the biggest specimens), by gradually pulling it out over the years the problem is much, much less and it gets better every year, most of my borders have plants cheek by jowl now and its quite easy to pull it out when it comes up + I have light sandy soil which makes it easier to remove, as MMdaisy says, get rid of as much as you can now. Keep your soil in good heart, and keep on top of it

 

Thankyou for your reply- I've been hard at work over the weekend and appear to be getting a good hold of this wreched Couch grass. I've found that pulling it up(snapping it from its roots) and then digging it out, is less labouress than having to weed out the particles spread generously by my strimmer (which also take root!) Determined to rid this devil!

 

Hi You'll have to use Round up for this as it is couch grass and if you leave the smallest piece in it will root again. Round up will kill it right down to the roots. Follow instructions on the bottle

 

Hi Ray P,
Think maybe we both know it locally as squitch