black plastic weed control

Wig

I need ground cover material to black out the light over a large area upto 40m x 40m

It needs to last 10 years or more

if plastic:
UV resistant is wanted but not sure if available. & what thickness?

If woven fabric:
How long does it last and does it keep out all the light? i.e. do the grass & weeds just grow underneath it using the little light getting threough? do weeds poke their way through?

I have some black plastic, which I have always assumed is damp proof liner, in my garden. It's about 4m x 4m which I found in a skip, and that has lasted about 10 years. Given the abuse (constantly walking over it &occasionally folding it back) I have given it it has held up suprisingly well. Due to UV it is now easy to tear from an edge but still very strong when pushing through from one side (like a sheet of paper).


suggestions and suppliers please?

valk_scot

I have some very thick woven weed control fabric on my plot, I've had it down in some places for over nine years and there's no sign of it degrading yet. I don't know the supplier unfortunately, it came in a roll from my late SILs plot when she passed away. I was told to take anything I wanted from her shed and here was this roll of 100m x 3m weed control stuff...brilliant!

Anyway, she wasn't one to skimp when buying gardening things so I expect it was the best. As I said I've had some down for nine years now and there's no sign of weeds breaking through it or it degrading. If I've had a piece down on a bed for say six months there's no sign at all of weed growth underneath, but the soil is still in good condition as water and air still passes through. I'm pretty sure it's almost completely lightproof when I hold it up to the light.

Where weeds do break through it's where I've put a hole in it for planting through. and sometimes round the peg holes. Also soil does collect on the upper layer in hollows and small weeds can establish themselves there, which looks like they're breaking through but can be peeled off.

The real downside is that it frays at the edges where you cut it, and round any holes. This takes time and I tend to move some pieces around on the beds but it would be better if you made any cuts with some sort of heat knife, to seal the edges. Or burnt holes through with a flame gun? (Never tried this personally, it might set the whole lot on fire. Test on a scrap!)

HTH. Go for as high quality as you can afford and in as wide a width as is practical, to minimise overlaps.

If you want something completely waterproof and weed suppressing, how about butyl pond liner? It's UV stable as well.

Wig

Hi, thanks,

I'm starting to like the idea of the water seeping through a fabric..cover

It seems the original is Mypex by Don & Low, their website says they also do Lobrene which is described as UV resistant but gives no tech specs, the website describes mypex as the better product. but does not list the differences, begs the question why did they design another fabric?

I can't find any Lobrene goundcover sheeting for sale anywhere - only finding mypex and "mypex type" which presumably means a mypex copy.

Can't find any price for mypex/lobrene 5.3m x 100m

Can't find what the pre packed roll size or weight is for 5.3m x 100m

Davesnave

Phormisol is of the same construction & just as good.

westiea

What you are looking for has a generic term 'geotextile'. In my opinion Mypex is just one of many branded names that are all as good. You pays your money and take your choice etc.

It has many uses and the thickness and type required is dependent on its use.

i.e. do you want it to stand plants on (typical nursery use) where there will be minimum walking and you will require uv stabilisation from direct sun and good drainage or under stone for a driveway with heavy traffic where uv is unimportant but thickness is paramount??


I have used this type for plant standing (100g gsm) and am pleased.
Remember if its for plant standing you will still get a certain amount of lichen/liverwort etc growth that may need to be scraped (sprayed off) .

splodger_seedswapper

surely a large 40m sq area covered in plastic type membrane, where water can't drain away is going cause waterlogging issues

you can get thick membrane for very heavy duty use - used on tracks, drives etc and that works very well at keeping weeds etc at bay - my dad laid some about 25 years ago on a track he was repairing and had it covered in scalpings - it is still in viable condition

what is that 40m sq area going to be used for? as some fabrics are going to better than others depending on the job

Davesnave

splodger_seedswapper wrote: »

surely a large 40m sq area covered in plastic type membrane, where water can't drain away is going cause waterlogging issues

Why can't water drain away? Where is that suggested?

Wig

It's not going to be used for anything, it's just a no maintenance long term weed (and everything else) preventor. The idea being that when I do finally come to designing a garden/allotment layout there will be no clearing required and no more cutting back growth every year in the meantime.

If impermeable plastic was used the water would build up in small puddles and eventually evaporate away.

What I don't want to happen is to find in 5 - 10 years that the stuff breaks up into a billion pieces when I come to clear it away, that would be my worst nightmare. I hate it when old carpets do that

Yorkie1

Personally I'd go for the woven textile every time.

It allows drainage, and air can get through to the soil below thus preventing the soil from going sour.

It is also less slippery than thick plastic, particularly in wet conditions.