North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Ginda Fisher <list@ginda.us>]

My experience with weed-blocking "fabrics" is with newspaper.  It's free, it blocks weeds for a couple of years, and it allows water to pass quite well.  It needs to be covered with something (I use mulch) because even if you didn't mind looking at it, it would blow away in the wind.  For the same reasons, it's a nuisance to lay down unless the day is completely still - I use a couple of fist-sized rocks to hold down the pieces until I put mulch over them, moving the rocks as I work.

Ginda

But it works very well.  Even tough weeds like dandelions are generally stopped.

On Feb 25, 2010, at 5:36 PM, Richard MURPHY wrote:

Hello Squad;
 
My dealings with Landscape Fabric and Weed Block.
 
1.     The econo-mulch plastic from Walmart sucks. It is very thin. Flies like a kite while you try to apply it. And, the little pin holes in it to 'allow water to pass', don't. If you have to use this crap, punch holes in it with your pitchfork for water to pass.
 
2.     The heavy duty, black, woven stuff is OK, except along the edge where it is cut. This stuff frays a lot. So, if you fold the cut edge underneath the top surface, and staple it down good, it's OK for jobs like; under pea-stone around your house, etc. Cutting holes in it after it is down is difficult, and it frays there, too.
 
3.     Red Plastic mulch under tomatoes. Without quoting the source, as I forgot. The RED color does nothing, according to a side-by-side experiment with black.
 
4.    The semi-translucent woven stuff is fine under pine bark mulch. Alone, it is useless. I have it in spots, 8 years old under mulch, still rugged.
 
5.    The only weed block I've used, that actually passes water and blocks EVERY weed, is DeWitts. I use the 12 year stuff in the nursery especially, with little 12" whip berry plants. I roll the soil fairly flat, staple it down, cut an 'X' where the seedling is going, then plant. The stuff has survived 2 winters in zone 4, with no mulch on top. The voles don't seem to like it, either. It can get expensive, but if you've got serious money into the plants already, worth every penney. If you don't beat the sh%& out of it, you can actually roll it back up, and save it for later. Try that with Wal Mart's crap.
 
I'm going to buy mine from Gemplers or Amazon (free shipping).
Prices vary WIDELY. Watch out. Shop around.
 
Murph



 

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