Weed Suppressing Fabric Advice Please

Caz6

Hi,

Looking for a recommendation of a suitable weed fabric and method of pinning it down...read on.

In a couple of years we'll be relandscaping the back garden and until then just want to keep it tidy. The lawn's fine but the borders are sprouting up weeds quicker than I can remove them. The borders are empty other than the occasional rose bush/plant which I'd fit the fabric around.

I want to put a weed suppressing fabric on the borders and am looking for recommendations of which type/brand to buy and how to tag it down so it'll last a couple of years and not, for example, curl up at the edges or dry out and crack. Most the fabrics seem to be to go under gravel/wood chips which I don't want to do - but do I buy the same product? If so, how do I pin it down? And can I put it on top of the weeds that are already there or do I need to remove most/all of them first?

Over to you...any advice appreciated.

Thanks

Vibrant

Hi,
You would need to remove the weeds before laying the fabric. Personally I like Wickes fabric, I would avoid the cheapest fabrics, as they tend to be very thin and tear easily. Some garden centers have it on a roll, which can be good quality and cheaper than the prepackaged fabric.

For fixing, I prefer 3 inch galvanised nails, with a clout head. But the plastic and wire staples work well, providing the ground isn't too stoney. It will take more fixings than you think, to keep the fabric down, especially if you aren't covering it with anything.

Be aware that if covered with chippings or gravel, weeds will often reappear after a few years and will root into the fabric, which is a pain to remove (they don't show that on ground force!).

As a couple of alternatives. If you have a supply of old boxes (cereal boxes or bigger), spreading them over the border will work as well, if not better, than weed fabric. I always cover the cardboard with grass clippings, to hold it down and hide it. This has the advantage of the cardboard rotting away over six months, or so, leaving behind a more, or less weed free border.

Another option is a Dutch hoe, this is used like a knife on a stick. Slide it back and forth just under the soil suface. This cuts the weeds off at the base, a few minutes each week will keep a large area clear. A cheap hoe will do the job, keep it sharp with a file once a month, nothing fancy, it's just a hoe. This is my preferred method of weed control, as done regularly it controls even perennial weeds and is quick, cheap and easy.

http://www.wilkinsonplus.com/Wilko-Dutch-Hoe-Long-Handled/invt/0134671

SailorSam

When i got a greenhouse i got weed suppressant on a roll from B&M to put under the base. It was on the lawn so i put a layer of sand down before the fabric then sprinkled more sand on top to hold it down. The base itself is small paving flags. I only did it earlier this year and the weeds are already coming through.
So i wouldn't advise the B&M stuff.

DKLS

I bought a large roll from an ebay seller, he threw in a load of fixing pegs came to about £30 ish, which do the job just great, I did try using clout nails nut they were neither use nor ornament.

miltonskeen

Have you got a grit bin nearby? A yellow thing at the side of the road ful of rock salt?

Half a cup of that spread around on the weeds will soon sort them out! The high salt concentration is lethal to plants though so please be careful with regards to spillages!

Caz6

Thanks for the input folks, will take a look on ebay and measure up!

scbk

SailorSam wrote: »

When i got a greenhouse i got weed suppressant on a roll from B&M to put under the base. It was on the lawn so i put a layer of sand down before the fabric then sprinkled more sand on top to hold it down. The base itself is small paving flags. I only did it earlier this year and the weeds are already coming through.
So i wouldn't advise the B&M stuff.

The weeds are probably growing on top of the fabric, rather than growing through it

lizzyb1812

Do you want a fabric that will breathe or solid plastic? If solid plastic then you can put it on top of the weeds which will die/rot down over the period you are talking about - just make sure to exclude the light and heavy/strong enough to last. Weeds will root into the fabric sort but should be pretty easy to get rid of as they will be small and fairly shallow rooted - scbk is right, they come in from elsewhere not from underneath.

For fixing down I used wire coat hangers - I had loads surplus. Cut the corners off the hangers about 10-15cm/4-6" along - each hanger gives two fixers. The ones I've used are still doing the job 5 years later.

HTH

Lizzyb

Davesnave

The strongest woven weed suppressing fabrics are branded Phormisol and Mypex. They are what professional growers use. They exclude light and allow water through. Putting solid plastic over an area isn't beneficial to soil in the long run, though it is OK as a temporary measure.

m33r4

I remember my dad using just old household carpet. No light got through the carpet and the roots died off but you need to give it at least a year. I have the side of my house which has pebbles laid on weed suppressing fabric laid by the previous owner of my house. This has not helped this weed growing and taking over the whole of the house side. I cannot remove the roots as this will mean removing tons of pebbles and stripping back the anti weed fabric. It is a hard job and very disruptive to the rest of the garden. I have therefore planned to try out the old carpet idea and leaving the area untouched for a least a year. Hopefully it will work *fingers crossed