Summer residents know firsthand what couch grass is – it is a weed that spreads with the stubbornness and persistence of horseradish, but at the same time is completely useless in all respects.
Its spread can be stopped either by hard physical labor or harmful chemicals - at least, that's what many people think. But there are always options.
Let's find out whether it is possible to deal with couch grass without hard labor and strong chemicals.
The right way
Mulching as a method of weed control has not been cancelled. This agricultural technique has obvious advantages over turning layers of soil and carefully selecting roots.
You need to mulch the soil immediately after the snow melts so that weeds do not have time to grow where the sun has barely warmed the ground.
You can use sawdust, straw, hay for this. But in the latter case, you need to make sure that there are no weeds with seeds among the mown grass. They retain their germination capacity perfectly and will definitely sprout in the garden bed.
However, the easiest way is to cover the desired area with a film that does not let in sunlight. Without light and moisture, the couch grass will not last long, and in the fall, all that remains is to dig up the area and pick out the remains of the couch grass roots.
As for mechanical means of control, this option is complicated, taking a lot of time and effort. At the same time, an unnoticed root of the plant can ruin everything, put out new shoots.
