Couch grass is an extremely stubborn root weed, which is difficult to get rid of due to its meter-long roots and its toughness. With the right techniques and perseverance, you can still kill the plant.

Couch grass is a particularly stubborn weed

Table of Contents

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  1. the essentials in brief
  2. Fight couch grass successfully
  3. Home remedies for couch grass
  4. Wheatgrass in the lawn
  5. prevent quench
  6. Stubborn couch grass
  7. Wheatgrass as a medicinal plant
  8. frequently asked Questions

    9. the essentials in brief

    • There are different types of couch grass, only the common or creeping couch grass poses a problem in the garden. Others either do not develop rhizomes or are even important for dune stabilization.
    • The creeping couch grass is a pioneer plant that quickly colonizes fallow land and spreads quickly. It forms meter-long rhizomes from which numerous new plants grow.
    • New couch grass develop from the smallest pieces of rhizome, which makes the plant so difficult to control.
    • The best method is to dig up and prevent couch grass from seeding over and over again. This is how you starve the weeds.

    Fight couch grass successfully

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    If you want to fight couch grass successfully, you have to roll up your sleeves and show a lot of patience. The best way to get rid of weeds or contain them is to dig them up again and again or cut off the above-ground parts of the plant. This weakens the growth and prevents further spread. Incidentally, it is particularly important not to let the plant flower and thus not seed in the first place. This way you gradually starve out the weeds and then hopefully get rid of them after one or two growing seasons.

    mechanical methods

    The couch grass can be completely removed mechanically using garden tools

    The best way to remove couch grass is to lift the clumpy growing plant out of the ground with a digging fork and carefully remove as many roots as possible. To do this, you have to pull the long, mostly flat foothills out of the ground. Make sure that the roots don't tear off and that you actually catch every piece, no matter how short. The easiest way to do this is on previously unplanted areas that are to be made arable. Proceed step by step here and deal with each couch grass individually. Fortunately, soil infested with couch grass is usually quite loose to begin with.

    In beds and borders infested with couch grass, on the other hand, it has proven useful to first dig up the actual plants, carefully free their root balls of any bits of couch potato and only then systematically work the bed as described. Only when the bed has been "dehydrated" do you replant it. In follow-up care, it is immensely important to put a stop to the spread of weeds from the outset. You can do this by covering the bed with a thick layer of mulch (e.g. bark mulch) and regularly removing small plants that come through.

    Cover

    In general, lack of light is important in order to get rid of couch grass. Many a gardener swears by practically starving the plants, for example with a covering of weed foil or corrugated cardboard. Corrugated cardboard in particular is an environmentally friendly method, as it naturally decomposes within a year and therefore does not leave any problematic waste - as is the case with plastic film. And that's how it works:

    1. Remove couch grass by hand as previously described.
    2. Now cover the fallow area tightly with corrugated cardboard.
    3. A thin layer of bark mulch or soil is placed on the corrugated cardboard.
    4. Leave the area fallow for 12 months.
    5. Then clear them away.
    6. Most of the corrugated cardboard should have rotted away.

    The couch grass roots should also be dead and not sprout again. It shouldn't come as a surprise that this can still happen, given the plants' ability to survive. Note that after such a regimen, the soil must be carefully fertilized. The rotting cardboard robs the soil of nutrients that you must replenish - preferably with organic fertilizers such as compost. In this way you also stimulate the microbial life in the soil again.

    Incidentally, planted areas can also be starved out in the manner described. All you have to do is cover the areas that are not planted and simply leave the appropriate recesses where the ornamental plants or useful plants are.

    Fight couch potato with potatoes?

    Potatoes do not prevent couch grass infestation

    Occasionally it is advised to first plant potatoes on a bed that has been cleared of couch grass. These would rob the couch grass of the light due to their dense canopy of leaves and thus prevent the weeds from growing again. Although this method sounds very promising, it unfortunately does not work in practical tests. On the contrary: If the couch grass and its roots are not removed from the bed thoroughly enough, the new shoots often feel particularly comfortable in a potato bed. Ergo, you cannot avoid regular weeding afterwards.

    It is better to first sow the processed bed with fast-growing green manure. This actually suppresses couch grass growth and at the same time ensures that you lay the right foundations for replanting. For this purpose, however, avoid legumes as much as possible, as these mainly enrich the soil with nitrogen and thus also promote couch grass. Instead, winter vetch, which is sown in autumn, is very suitable. Even a dense plant cover of nasturtiums can literally suppress couch grass. The corresponding bed should then not be worked on in the next year either, but should remain densely planted.

    digression

    With Jerusalem artichoke against couch grass

    Jerusalem artichoke - a sunflower plant with edible tubers - is also said to drive couch grass away. Simply plant Jerusalem artichokes in spring on a bed that has been cleared and free of couchgrass and wait and see what happens.

    herbicides

    Glyphosate-based herbicides such as the infamous RoundUp and other chemical weed killers are the last secret weapon of couch grass-stricken gardeners. However, think carefully before using them, because on the one hand such total herbicides do not differentiate between unwanted and desired plants - instead they simply flatten everything if you are not careful - and on the other hand these remedies are simple and highly toxic to both yourself and your family, for Pets and farm animals as well as for your garden.

    Glyphosate in particular is considered to be highly carcinogenic and therefore has no place in the home garden. If you still want to use an herbicide, it is best to apply it in warm and dry weather. Also make sure that you really only spray the weeds so that you don't accidentally kill your garden vegetation at the same time. Then you have to wait a bit, because these agents must first be absorbed by the plants before they can develop their deadly effect.

    Do home remedies help against couch grass?

    Many a gardener swears by household remedies such as vinegar, salt or simply boiling water when fighting couch grass. In fact, these methods can be quite successful, but have serious disadvantages.

    vinegar and salt

    First of all, simple household vinegar or vinegar essence is a popular household remedy. Dilute table vinegar 1:15 (one part vinegar to 15 parts water) and spray or water directly on the plant to be treated. Since vinegar essence is more concentrated, you will need to add more water in this case. Make sure you only wet the couch grass with the vinegar, as it cannot distinguish between desired and undesired plants either. The same goes for salt: use one part regular household salt and five parts hot water to make your own weed killer, which you apply directly to the plant.

    The couch grass treated with it comes on after a few days together with its roots and can then be removed. Thus, these remedies are very effective, but also have negative effects on the environment:

    • Soil acidified by vinegar - low pH, poor plant growth
    • when using salt, the salt remains in the soil - salinity inhibits plant growth
    • neither vinegar nor salt can be removed from the soil
    • both are only broken down over a long period of time
    • disturb the microbial life in the soil and thus the formation of humus
    • can get into the groundwater

    In view of these disadvantages, the use of both vinegar and salt must be discouraged. After all, these substances are not harmless just because they carry the label "home remedies".

    Boiling water

    The couch grass can be scalded with boiling water - but everything else in its vicinity will also be scalded

    Instead of vinegar and salt, you can simply use boiling water and scald the couch grass with it. The weeds will certainly not survive this treatment and will die. But be careful: Boiling water does not contain any soil-damaging ingredients, but due to its high temperature it still disturbs soil life, and that sensitively. For this reason, you should better avoid this method, as the microorganisms that are so important for the formation of humus will thank you.

    digression

    The use of home remedies on paved surfaces is prohibited

    Incidentally, the use of agents such as salt and vinegar on sealed and non-agricultural surfaces - such as terraces, driveways and sidewalks - is prohibited by law and can result in severe fines.

    What to do against couch grass in the lawn?

    Of course, couch grass is also more common in lawns, although it is not particularly noticeable here - after all, it is also a grass that, embedded in the lawn grass, is practically invisible in it. Many a gardener only becomes aware when noticeably bright, fairly wide blades of grass slip between the otherwise rather dark green lawn grasses. If you don't want to use a herbicide, it's best to simply prick out the couch grass with a digging fork and pull out the rhizomes as carefully as possible. For this purpose, you can also use a spade to first lift off the couch grass sod, remove the weeds and then put them back into the lawn. Reseed free areas.

    Regular mowing - once a week - during the vegetation period as well as balanced fertilization and watering ensure that couch grass cannot grow in the first place. Lawn edges and root barriers also ensure that weeds stay outside and do not grow into the lawn from the outside.

    Prevent couch grass growth

    If you prevent couch potato growth, you have less work to do

    It is little known that the couch potato plague is often brought in - for example through inferior or contaminated lawn seeds. When reseeding the lawn and doing repair work, be sure to buy high-quality mixtures. In particular, the cheap "no-name mixes" from the discounter and many a supposedly cheap bargain from the Internet should be avoided in this regard.

    In addition, couch grass often grows into the garden from neighboring fields or meadows. In order to prevent the weeds from spreading further, barrier measures such as lawn edges and the like are useful. The same applies to vegetable and ornamental beds, in which, conversely, couch grass should not grow out of the meadow. By the way: horse and cattle manure (18.80€) is a great garden fertilizer, but often also a carrier of couch grass seeds. The animals love to eat the grass (which is why it is also grown for fodder in some countries such as Finland), but they do not digest the seeds. These pass through the digestive tract undamaged and then germinate in the garden. Pig manure, on the other hand, is not a problem.

    To avoid a couch potato plague in the garden, you should use these measures:

    • Do not over-fertilize the garden soil, especially with nitrogen
    • Dig out couch grass early (before sowing!).
    • don't put it in the compost
    • not undermine
    • Install lawn edges and other growth barriers
    • do not fertilize with horse or cattle manure (at least not with which from unclear sources)
    • use high-quality seed (lawn).

    Couch grass - a stubborn root weed

    "Know your enemy" is a saying that is as beautiful as it is apt - this applies particularly to couch grass. Because if you want to fight this herb successfully, you should know its biology and, above all, have seen through its survival strategies.

    Couch grass belongs to the so-called ear grasses and thus also to the sweet grasses. In contrast to many other types of grass, however, they are undesirable in the garden because they form meter-long rhizomes. These run through the garden soil, are difficult to remove and also ensure that the weeds can hardly be removed. A new plant can grow from every piece, no matter how small.

    species

    The couch grass is mainly found on dunes

    Gardeners think of the widespread and stubborn weeds when they hear the word “couch” and, with their meter-long rhizomes, make life and gardening difficult for them. On the other hand, it is hardly known that - depending on the system - there are between 40 and 100 different species that are distributed almost all over the northern hemisphere. Not all of these spike grasses form the characteristic rhizomes for which couch grass is actually known. The so-called couch grass (bot. Roegneria), for example, manages without it at all and reproduces exclusively via its seeds.

    In addition, not all types of couch grass are weeds, some are even immensely important. This applies above all to the sand or dune couch grass that is native to the coastal areas of northern Germany, which solidifies the dunes and loose sandy soils and is therefore intended to protect them from erosion and sand removal (e.g. by sea and wind). There are therefore some major differences between the various species, but they all have in common their strong urge to spread and the ability to displace other plants. This is where the name of this type of grass comes from, because the Old High German word "queck" means something like "lively" or "strong".

    In the following table you will find a brief overview of the most important types of couch grass in Germany.

    couch grass species Scientific designation occurrence and distribution Locations stolon formation particularities
    Couchgrass / creeping couchgrass Elymus repens ssp. repens Europe, North America, North Africa, Siberia widespread, both on nutrient-poor and nutrient-rich soils yes, pronounced most common couch grass species, widespread weed
    couch grass Elymus caninus Europe, Asia, North America, New Zealand at forest edges and in bushes no widespread
    Sea Wheat / Beach Wheat Elymus farctus Europe, North America, North Africa, Near East on sandy soils, mainly on dunes (coastal areas) Yes important for the stability and consolidation of sand dunes
    Dense-eared couch grass / couch grass Lymus athericus Central European coastal areas, North Sea and Baltic Sea coast on sandy soils Yes important for the stability and consolidation of sand dunes

    features

    Basically only the common or creeping couch grass is interesting for the gardener. You can easily recognize this perennial spike grass by the following characteristics:

    • meter-long, branching, underground root suckers
    • typically light to white in color
    • Roots mostly run shallow under the ground
    • Rhizomes penetrate up to 80 centimeters deep
    • clumpy growth above ground
    • erect culms between 50 and 150 centimeters high
    • A single plant can give rise to up to 150 new ones per year

    The flowering period of the creeping couch grass is between June and August. During this time, the two-rowed, loose flower spikes appear, which are mostly grey-green in colour. Couch grass can be found on almost any soil, but they prefer a dense and nutrient-rich subsoil. This is why weeds feel so at home in the garden: Here they find well-fertilized soil and all other conveniences.

    Couch grass are typical pioneer plants that spread quickly on fallow land. However, they have a high light requirement and can be pushed back through the targeted planting of shading plants (such as bushes).

    propagation and spread

    Couch grass reproduce both by their underground root runners and by seeding.Of particular interest for the gardener is the information that the plant is able to sprout again and again from the smallest pieces of rhizome - but these specimens that have grown from it are not as strong-growing and assertive as the "original" plant. By constantly chopping, digging up and tearing out, you weaken the couch grass in the long term, so that the growth can be contained slowly but effectively in this way.

    But be careful when tilling the soil: the small pieces of rhizome can be distributed throughout the garden through gardening work such as digging and the like - one reason why couch grass plants that have been plucked out or dug up have no place in the compost. With a bit of bad luck, spread the remaining bits of root in freshly dug and prepared beds with half-ripe compost. Just like the roots, the seeds of the plant are also very resistant: they are still germinable even at a depth of up to five centimeters and remain so for up to ten years - this becomes problematic if you sow couch grass deep buried in the ground.

    tips

    Be careful not to over-fertilize the garden soil! In particular, over-fertilization with nitrogen promotes couch grass growth, because the plants are less able to survive on poor soil.

    Wheatgrass as a medicinal plant?

    "Don't get angry about couch grass, you'd better make something out of it!"

    Yes, you read that correctly: common couch grass has been used, at least in folk medicine, for many centuries. Health-promoting properties of other wild herbs have been known for a long time, and many people also know that dandelion, daisy and goutweed can also be put in salads and eaten. But the couch grass? In fact, in earlier times - especially when there was not much to eat due to a lack of food - the weed was used as a vegetable or as a substitute for flour. The starchy roots, for example, can be dried and ground into flour, which can then be used to extend conventional grain flour. The roots as well as the leaves and stalks can also be used as vegetables in soup - this is still the case today in rural kitchens in the former CIS countries.

    ingredients and uses

    The couch grass roots in particular contain saponins (soap substances), as well as silicic acid, potassium salts and various vitamins and carbohydrates. In the past, the plant was mainly used for so-called flushing therapies, as it is considered to be diuretic and blood-cleansing. This is how bacterial infections should be treated earlier. Today, however, such use must be discouraged. On the one hand, the effect attributed to couch grass has not been researched, and on the other hand, such self-treatment can simply lead to inflammation only getting worse.

    frequently asked Questions

    What is the difference between root and seed weeds?

    Roughly speaking, the difference between seed and root weeds is that seed weeds spread primarily by seed and root weeds spread by their roots. Naturally, seed weeds are - mostly, but not always - easier to fight, after all, you don't have to pull meter-long rhizomes out of the garden soil.

    Typical seed weeds are, for example, chickweed (bot. Stellaria media), white goosefoot (bot. Chenopodium album), buckhorn (bot. Plantago lanceolata) or annual meadow grass (bot. Poa annua). The root weeds include above all ground elder (bot. Aegopodium podagraria), ground ivy (bot. Glechoma hederacea), creeping buttercup (bot. Ranunculus repens), horsetail (bot. Equisetum), morning glory (bot. Convolvulaceae) and, of course, couch grass. Other plants, on the other hand, cannot be clearly assigned, but are both seed and root weeds.

    What is the best way to control seed weeds?

    The best way to combat seed weeds is to weed them repeatedly - if possible before the seeds ripen and are planted. It is therefore best not to wait for the flower to bloom, but pluck as soon as you see such a herb. The seeds can remain germinable for years even under adverse conditions and sprout - distributed by wind and animals - in the most unlikely places.

    Isn't there a simple method that will surefire help against couch grass and other root weeds?

    Getting rid of root weeds like couch grass can certainly take on the proportions of a new hobby, but not one that one enjoys pursuing. However, there is no easy way to get the herb under control - if there was, its inventor would certainly have become very rich. Despite all the suggestions, the best way to combat it is still to dig up the plants and as much of their roots as possible. See it positively, it might make work easier: this way you save yourself the gym.

    What if I just don't do anything against couch grass and co.?

    This is of course also an option, but it involves a great risk: stubborn root weeds tend to crowd out other plants in no time at all due to their vigour. For example, we know that couch grass not only grows quickly and the soil is quickly criss-crossed by its roots, but that it also releases enzymes that in turn inhibit the growth of other plants. Ergo, you have no choice but to deal with this stubborn growth again and again - only then do you have a chance that something else will grow in your garden or lawn after all.

    tips

    Ground elder is just as stubborn as couch grass, which is why the control methods described here can also be used on this weed. The same applies to Giersch: Be persistent and dig - that's the only thing that really helps effectively against root weeds.

Category:

Herbs