Re: Turnips to the rescue perhaps

Anthony Lyman-Dixon wrote:
> A very long time ago when I was a real farmer, sowing rape and
> turnips on new plough was a traditional way of both keeping the
> weeds down and feeding the sheep through the long winters in the
> hills. The following Spring (there would be)... A few
> annual weeds like redshank and fat hen.. but no perennials.
> Until I saw this message, I had never given the possibility of
> "emanations" from the turnips much thought and had just taken their
> ground clearing potential for granted.

jennifer wrote
> reference to the couch grass, whilst listening to our excellent Radio
> 4 the other day.I heard on Gardeners Question Time, someone .. say that he had sown turnip seeds after
> hand clearing couch, and it had completely disappeared and had not
> returned even a couple of years later. He also said that the turnips
> had not thrived. He asked for an explanation, however none of the
> team could offer any, although there was some talk of "emanations"
> from the turnips. Anyone out there any experience of this, or willing
> to try .

I looked up turnips in Rodale's companion book but they had just a few unsupported anecdotes of them as good companions in the garden, especially for greens and legumes, and no mention of unfavourable reactions, but it is interesting to note neither of these groups consists of perennial plants.

Most allelopathic plants which have been reported can be lethal to some plants and perfectly friendly to others. Even the dreaded black walnuts tolerate as many plants as they destroy, so I would not be quick to discount the possibility of turnips as an inhibitor for perennial weeds. In fact I have a small patch of couch in one of my own borders and would be happy to experiment. I am not clear though whether it will actually affect plants already growing or whether it acts simply by inhibiting germination. Perhaps we shall see.

As to why the turnips did not thrive either in the particular case mentioned, perhaps the soil was generally not very fertile, which I don't think would have bothered the initial couch much. It is one of the toughies which will grow almost anywhere!

However, If a whole lot of couch growth had just been removed from that soil it could have taken a fair bit of the available fertility with it.

Moira

--
Tony & Moira Ryan,
Wainuiomata, North Island, NZ. Pictures of our garden at:-
http://mywebpages.comcast.net/cherie1/Garden/TonyandMoira/index.htm

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