No dig newbie

[Lovemusic33]

I am attempting no dig on my allotment, it’s a plot I have just taken in and it was just a patch of grass so decided to attempt not to dig 😬. I cut the grass back and covered for a couple months, raked it over then lay cardboard down before covering in mushroom spelt compost and so manure (about 4inches or so). All was looking good but went up there today and grass has started to poke through. I thought the cardboard would stop the happening? I know there are a few gaps from overlap but I have patched these up with more cardboard but one area is particularly bad with lots of grass poking through. Have I not added enough compost? Any tips gratefully received .

It sounds like couch grass, if you pull it up and it has tough white roots underneath it’s couch grass and it’s insanely persistent.

I am a huge fan of no dig but if you have couch grass you are far better off pulling it all up and then starting again with what you’ve done. Honestly I have wasted hours and hours of my life pulling up couch grass from my beautiful beds and it’s not worth it. Now I dig it out first and it rarely comes back.

It does look like couch grass. It’s mainly growing where I have planted my fruit bushes. I am worried it will start popping up everywhere. I have spent many hours hard work doing no dig thinking it would be easier than digging (it’s not) and spent a fortune on mushroom compost. Hopefully it’s just one small area.

Just keeping pulling it out, it will weaken over time. If you let it grow the roots will creep and interfere with the roots in your fruit bushes so keep pulling!