invasive grass

The firm of May & Baker used to market a chemical which could be watered on to grass (such as couch-grass) which had become invasive around other plants and which would kill the grass without harming them. May & Baker went out of business some years ago and I haven't been able to find a similar product from another manufacturer. Can anyone recommend something?

 

I always dig them up or put porus matting down now and it will disappear by spring.

 

Oh dear! That sounds like much harder work than watering on chemicals from a can

 

There are agricultural herbicides for use with specific crops that will supress couch grass but they are all highly toxic (especially to aquatic life) and are NOT licensed for domestic gardens.

Just elimate light from round the base of the plant (black plastic) and keep weeding any runners that appear outwith the barrier. It takes time but you will kill it eventually and won't poision the ground, your pets or yourself in the process.

I'm afraid there is no such thing as weed free or maintenance free gardening

 

C'mon Jack - don't be a wimp Little bit of couch grass is not going to be too much for you. Dig over the soil with a fork and loosen it up. Then you can hand pull the grass with its white roots intact. Make cetain you get it all out. Burn them or leave them exposed until they are quite dead. Safe then to compost, but not while still alive. Chemical weedkillers never live up to their claims and poison what you want to grow but leave the tough old weeds unscathed.

 

While sympathising with your approach, Hornbeam I don't think you have ever removed couch from clay. When the clay particles break up the couch breaks up into tiny little pieces that all grow.
When I was on clay soil I did use Roundup in spray form and it wiped it out. On my present garden I don't have clay so I can happily root it out using a fork and hands.
I think I do remember a chemical that was specific to couch but I think it was eventually banned. I don't think it was that good anyway.

 

We have tried the no light method and the couch is still growing away happily. Sorry but since with careful spraying the Roundup only goes on the plants I want to kill and no where else AND there is no evidence from this garden of any major residue problems I am going to carry on until, all the couch, creeping fescue. bindweed, ground elder, dock and ragwort in this garden are history!.

 

You will have a long wait

 

i used to use the round up that came in a little bottle with a brush on the cap for such troubles

 

Expensive like that though. All I do is mix ordinary Roundup with a wallpaper paste and paint that on instead, much cheaper!