Couch Grass and Raspberries

[Irish-Digger]

Hello,

I have a Raspberry cage measuring 4M x 5M and have a terrible problem with couch grass. I have been weeding it by hand but it’s a tiresome task. Can anyone recommend a suitable mulch to suppress the grass and benefit the fruit.

Best regards,

Irish

[Irish-Digger]

[Old bird]

Hi,

I don't have a cage but I have 4 rows of raspberries.  What I use is manure/compost directly on the raspberries at this time of year and grass clippings as a mulch over the raspberries and the dividing pathways during the summer.  I (fortunately) don't have couch grass though!  Would it be impossible to spot weedkiller the couch grass? 

Alternatively - I have a friend who has a mobility scooter shop!!  the cardboard boxes that he has to get rid of are HUGE and unbelievably THICK!!  With a bit of creative cutting could you put that down over the grass pathy bit and then mulch that with bark chippings?

Old Bird

;D

[Irish-Digger]

Hello Old Bird ( I'm sure you have a much more flattering name )

I am reluctant to put weedkiller near the canes, and it would need to be blanket spraying rather then spotting. However I like your suggestion for grass clippings.

Thank you for your reply,

Irish

[Old bird]

Hi Irish Digger

The name is very descriptive!!

When I was in my teens in the 60's my sister and myself both went out (at different times) with the same bloke!  She married him - but divorced him 10 years later) He used to call us birdie

We have now, for the past 20 years, called each other birdie!  So the description is fairly apt - I am now aiming for 60 - God where does it all go?! - and I am still Birdie - but older & hopefully wiser!


Best wishes

Old Bird

;D

[Irish-Digger]

I read somewhere the 60 is the new 30 !!

Lucky you to have been a teen in the 60's

[Deb P]

I inherited two rows of raspberries that were titally infiltrated with couch. In the end I spent a whole day sitting on the ground and dug the couch out by hand, they put a really thick mulch of mushroom compost around the roots. I still had a few strands try and make a stand, but they were easily dug out as they appeared.
As you have an infested cage, you could try a lasagne bed over all the couch; either several layers of wet newpaper or cardboard, then any kind of mulch over the top. It has to be of a decent thickness or it won't be enough to suppress the couch.

[Jon Munday]

Very difficult to deal with perennial weeds with an established long term crop. Do not be tempted to use any translacating weedkillers like Round-Up (Glyphosate the only chemical that will deal with cooch effectively). My advise would be to gig out the canes, this can be done now if done before the end of Feb.
Dig out all roots of the cooch and make sure they are removed from any canes that you replant. Lots of hard work involved and no quick fix available. I think the lesson here for all is to make sure perennial weeds are removed or killed before any planting.
Regards
Jon

[louise stella]

I inherited two rows of raspberries that were titally infiltrated with couch. In the end I spent a whole day sitting on the ground and dug the couch out by hand, they put a really thick mulch of mushroom compost around the roots. I still had a few strands try and make a stand, but they were easily dug out as they appeared.
As you have an infested cage, you could try a lasagne bed over all the couch; either several layers of wet newpaper or cardboard, then any kind of mulch over the top. It has to be of a decent thickness or it won't be enough to suppress the couch.

Works for me!

I had a similar problem and heavy mulching etc has bought it under control - and the crop is excellent.  Thing is not to beat yourself up about weeds!  I am more fussy at home in the garden - but having taken over wh was avery neglected plot I had to compromise!  ....and the veg don't seem to mind!

Louise

[Eristic]

Lucky you to have been a teen in the 60's

If Birdie is anything like me she will not remember the 60's.

Some old Hippies have a saying "If you remember the 60's you wern't really there man".

[annppayne]

When I got my allotment 4 years ago, I was such an innocent then and did not realise what I was digging into.    I had not heard of "couch grass".   I could see these long white, tufty roots and decided to ignore them!!    I was in denial.

I know much better now.    And after determined effort, I cannot say the allotment is totally clear of couch grass, but at least I am not pulling it out by the barrowful now, only by the bucketful, so that's progress of sorts.   Spent an hour digging and pulling it out of my asparagus bed today. 

I know the couch grass roots in the remaining area will be delighted.......... "goody some soft ground for me to bury into"  ..... and it will be back again.

However, digging and pulling it out is the only way to deal with it.   Mulching will only delay the inevitable.