Using the dreaded Couch grass as compost is still a great debate to a lot of gardeners out there.  There are those who simply don’t want to risk the chance of having the grass growing all over their lawn after being made into compost and those who claim that they have to problems with it.  Whatever their claims are, there are still a lot of issues in making use of this type of grass especially when you are about to spread a compost made from it all over your lawn.

Concern in using Couch grass as compost

One of the issues that people face in using couch grass for compost is the fact that it is extremely stubborn.  Using it as compost for certain areas in your house or farm can lead to a tragedy of being overrun by this persistent pest.  This grass simply doesn’t die once pulled out of the ground.  It grows through its rhizomes and even if a tiny part of it ever gets back into the ground, it has a big chance of growing back to prime.  Even placing the uprooted grass in a composter can provide it with a good enough environment for it to grow.

In plain thought, just burn the grass and be free from it.  However, there are some who claim that even after being burned; this grass can simply grow back.  The main problem about burning is when you just light it on fire without having pulled out the roots of the grass off the ground.

Making the compost from Couch grass

To start with the process of making the compost, you will need the grass itself.  Dig out those that you find around your lawn and make sure that you remove all the traces of roots that you find attached to the soil.  This way, there will be less or no chance at all for it to grow back.

Collect all the grasses that you have dug out then pile it in one place with a cement or plastic base to keep it off the ground.  Cover the pile with a black garbage bag or plastic sheet then place it in an area with a lot of sun.  The heat that will be generated inside the plastic will kill the plant together with the lack of sunlight.  Leave it there until the grass dies out.  This is true when they already smell awful.

Once that happens, place it in your composter and allow to stay there for a year or so just to be on the safe side.

Other method of killing the grass is by letting it hang in a wire off the ground and allow the sun to dry it out completely before you place it in the composter.

Another method that you can try is by the process of drowning it.  Place the grass in a container filled with water, cover with black plastic and allow to sit under the sun until it becomes soupy and smelly.

Killing the grass is important to avoid any growth after being made into compost and applied to the ground.  Couch grass is stubborn so you need to be well aware of that.

Couch grass is a persistent perennial that has been a great headache to gardeners all over the world and has paved its way to the pedestal of must-kill plant.  A lot of people hate having this grass around their lawn and a lot of gardeners have made drastic measures to keep them out.  Although the grass has had its fair share of benefits to other people, there is still no keeping the people who hate it find ways to get rid of it for good.  Herbicide is one of the chemical product that that’s been part of the weed killer’s  arsenal against the grass and is one that’s most successful so far.

The types of herbicides used against Couch grass

Non-Selective Herbicide – this type of herbicide used against Couch grass kills any kind of vegetation from which it is applied.  From the name itself, it selects no living plant to kill once it is applied.  Spraying this herbicide is usually done where there are no other plants around.  Once you spray near any plants, you’ll end up with dead debris in a matter of days.  This is commonly used when clearing the area before planting anything on it.

Selective Herbicide – this kind of herbicide can be chemically formulated to kill a certain plant like the Couch.  The best time to use this is when the grass has grown to about 6 inches in height and is again sprayed for the second time before the grass reaches another height of 6 inches.  Spring and summer are the best months in spraying this herbicide where the leaf of the grass has reached his full bloom giving it better success rate given the wider surface area from it to cling on.

Pre-emergent Herbicide – this herbicide prevents the grass from germinating which is a good option to go for if you have existing grass on your lawn or field.  This way, you won’t have to dig out the land just to get rid of the grass.  The only concern to this is that you should be well aware of the area you have to make sure that you get to apply it before it even starts to grow.  The early days of spring are the best time to use this.

Other Herbicides – the other forms of herbicides suppress the leaves of this grass or harm it together with the stems although it is not enough to fully get rid of the grass.  This type of herbicide is commonly paired with the post-emergent herbicide to control any destructive grass from outgrowing the ones you already have.

Tips in using herbicides on Couch grass

The best tip you can ever get in using herbicides is to follow what is written in the package.  They are there for a reason and it’s best to stick to it.  Patience and extreme caution is important since some herbicides can damage those around the weeds you want to kill.  Ask for professional help if you still don’t succeed so that you’ll completely free yourself from the devastating effects of Couch grass.