Ground cover/weed membrane

~Chameleon~

Does anyone know where I can find some 'not too expensive' ground cover to suppress weeds please?

I'm not going to be able to do much with the veggie beds this year so want to cover them over to prevent weeds getting a good hold. I'm guessing plastic sheeting won't be any good as the soil can't breathe under it?

TonyMMM

Old carpet ?

~Chameleon~

TonyMMM wrote: »

Old carpet ?

No, been there done that and it ends up rotting and falling apart and is then a nightmare to remove. It can also leech chemicals into the soil from the dyes used in the carpet. Ok for rough ground but not really suitable for veggie plots.

Thanks for the suggestion though

ALIBOBSY

Thick card is good although it will break down. I am lucky OH works in IT so every so often will get those big PC boxes. His works are actually pleased it is getting recycled lol.
I think black plastic is fine, but it can be a haven for slugs underneath so worth lifting and checking every so often.

ali x

valentina

If you can get any free council produced compost (made from the green waste from kerbside collections), you can use it on top of thickly laid newspaper, or cardboard as above.

Smoffi

i've used plastic sheeting for all of mine.. uncovered them once a month and mixed the soil up and then covered it over.

~Chameleon~

Thanks for the suggestions so far. I need something far more robust than cardboard as the beds could lay dormant until next spring. Also, putting down compost won't stop weeds growing, they'll no doubt flourish in it

I've done a quick calculation in my head and think I need approx 30m x 2m of some sort of membrane. Prices seem to vary widely but I guess you get what you pay for.

~Chameleon~

Smoffi wrote: »

i've used plastic sheeting for all of mine.. uncovered them once a month and mixed the soil up and then covered it over.

That's not too bad if you can do that. I need something that can be laid and not touched again for 12mths, until I start growing again next spring

Crystaltipps_2

Poundland has some mulch sheets in at the moment?

jeferey

I bought a large roll of weaved black weed suppressing fabric off ebay 2 1/2 years ago for my allotment and it's been great - I've used it for paths and also on my sweetcorn bed, etc. Looks like it will last a few years yet...

conradmum

Thick black plastic sheeting will be the most durable. I've got some I bought years and years ago, from a building merchant. No need to worry about the soil underneath. Air can still make its way in from the sides.

If you do decide to buy weed suppressant fabric instead (which will be more expensive and not as effective nor hardwearing imo), beware of cheap rubbish. It won't last out the year, especially with nothing on top of it.

Edwin Tuckers are a good supplier