Couch Grass
Last post 29-04-2009 9:23 AM by bogweevil. 4 replies.
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28/04/2009 01:06 PM
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- Linda
- Fordingbridge
- 28 Apr 2009
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Due to pressure of work our garden has been somewhat neglected for the last couple of years and is now inundated by couch grass. I know it can be removed manually with a lot of hard work, but a friend recommended a product called Shogun which is only available through farmers. He said it is a selective couch grass killer which his gardener used and which worked on his garden. We do not want to lose the many plants in the garden already, just the couch grass.
I have been unable to find it anywhere (I do not know any farmers). Has anyone come across this product, or similar, and if so where can I get hold of it?
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28/04/2009 07:47 PM
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- Phot's-Moll
- The sunny South coast.
- 06 Jan 2007
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4,551
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I don't know of it, but I suspect it can only be sold to people who are licensed to use it.
http://patsysplot.blogspot.co.uk/
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28/04/2009 07:49 PM
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- Phot's-Moll
- The sunny South coast.
- 06 Jan 2007
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4,551
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I just Googled 'Shogun weedkiller' and saw a pdf manual for the product.
http://patsysplot.blogspot.co.uk/
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28/04/2009 08:04 PM
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- Keith Webb
- Winchester
- 28 Apr 2009
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Dear Linda
The most satisfactory way to remove couch grass is to spray it with Roundup, which you can buy from Garden centres. This is, unfortunately, a herbicide that kills any plant that it comes into contact with, but has the advantage that once it hits the ground it becomes inactive. The plants take two or three weeks to die back, but Roundup goes right down to the roots of plants. It will also kill convulvulus, but that usually takes more than one application. It is best sprayed on the weeds, when they are in full growth and not under stress from drought. Always use it when the spray is not likely to be washed off by rain.
Digging up couch grass does not work, because the smallest particle will grow and the roots break easily. I would advise that you kill off everything and start again. I know that it sound ruthless, but it is the best way.
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29/04/2009 09:23 AM
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Unfortunately selective weedkillers to eliminate grasses are now only offered to farmers and only tested on limited range of farm crops, vegetables and fruit so it is hard to say if they would be safe to use on ornamentals even if it were legal to do so.
The active ingredient of Shogun is propaquizafop and these are products allowed for use in the UK, (none of which has a label recommendation for ornamental crops): https://secure.pesticides.gov.uk/pestreg/prodlist.asp?pageno=1&origin=prodsearch
You would be on very dodgy legal ground using a product only sold for farm use on crops not on its label and in a garden situation that is not analogous to those on the label, even if you were suitably trained and equiped to handle professional pesticides. Therefore I think it unlikely that you could even persuade a professional landscape contractor to treat your plot for you.
Sorry
Boggy
Beware the bat-eared bogweevil
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