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Replies

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  Peter March 16, 2014 at 7:55pm

  Selective weedkiller on whichever is the most predominant weed?
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  John Baker March 16, 2014 at 11:31pm

  Am I missing something here? Are you growing this couch grass (scutch grass in Northern Ireland) for some ornamental or medicinal purpose. A couch grass lawn sounds like a nightmare as the problem is that it spreads into borders. In other words it is (usually) regarded as a weed grass.
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  Paul McNulty March 16, 2014 at 11:37pm

  Plus one John. Couch grass would be a weed to me! It's on my list of pet hates, along with mare's tails, carex and ground elder.....

  If it's a mix of couch and other perennial weeds, I'd be using a systemic weedkiller to clear the area, probably over at least one whole season, before even thinking of putting down grass. Then, proper grass, not couch?
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  Colin Hunt March 17, 2014 at 6:41am

  Maybe Paul means Rye grass?
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  Paul Thomas March 17, 2014 at 7:11am

  No,it's definitely couch grass, and although it is not favoured in the UK ( I agree John), it is the grass of choice for this lawn. The garden is actually abroad where this type of grass is favoured, however, it still has this persistent problem with weeds.
  
  What systemic weed killer would you suggest Paul? Any ideas? This seems a real problem for me so any ideas would be welcome.
  
  Many thanks
  
  Paul
• PRO

  Phil Voice March 17, 2014 at 7:18am

  Is this it Paul?

  "Paspalum vaginatum is a species of grass known by many names, including seashore paspalum, biscuit grass, saltwater couch, silt grass, and swamp couch in the English language, grama de costa, grama de mar, gramilla blanca, and gramón in Spanish, herbe rampante in French, and hai que bai (Chinese: 海雀稗; pinyin: hăiquèbài) in Chinese.[1] It is native to the Americas, where it grows in tropical and subtropical regions.[2] It is found throughout the other tropical areas of the world, where it is an introduced species and sometimes an invasive weed.[1] It is also cultivated as a turfgrass in many places.[3]"

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paspalum_vaginatum
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  Paul Thomas March 17, 2014 at 8:42pm

  That's it Phil. Very invasive, but in this case, looks stunning as a lawn.
  I need to find something that will act as a good weed killer but that will not kill the grass. I would be very grateful for any suggestions?
  
  
  Many thanks
  
  Paul
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  Paul McNulty March 17, 2014 at 10:11pm

  Ah, didn't know it wasn't in the UK!

  I've always used re-act for weeds in lawns, but I don't have a clue if it would be safe on couch grass. Might be worth a call to Progreen, they should be able to advise.
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  Paul Thomas March 18, 2014 at 6:39am

  Great idea Paul, thanks. I shall ask them.
  
  Paul
• PRO Supplier

  Progreen Weed Control March 20, 2014 at 1:54pm

  I believe couch grass may be Cynodon Dactylon (botanical name)– Richard our tech advisor lived and worked in Australia (some one has to.. it can't all be good he's back)and is VERY familiar with couch, ..unfortunately ! Spreads rapidly even in extremely poor sandy soils. They are a monocotyledon so weeds should be controlled by most selective weedkillers (MCPA, dicamba, etc) although Triclopyr may have some effect on couch so should be avoided…try a weaker solution in a test area first before the weeds get a grip. The grass is abroad so you would have to check the national equivalent of our very own CRD database for products registered for use in that country… Happy to to talk it over if you want to give us a call freephone 0800 032 6262