Hey all,
Every year I use a cheap $50 craigslist pool cover to cover my 20ft x 60ft community garden plot (with cross-sections ’ cut like an 'X 'in for my plants, so i reuse the same ‘holes’ each year). The weeds there can grow through cheap stretchy plastic and get 5ft tall by end of summer, so I need the plastic :).
But alas I had to get rid of the cover this year for certain reasons… so I was looking at some other options like:
Just curious, for the cost, which one (or another option?) would you get?
I’m probably leaning the Husky 4mm (last 4th link above), unless that width is overkill.
Check out the Silver metallic mulch. I used to have a problem with Aphids with just about every dam pepper I grew. I’ve used this stuff for the past two years and have not had an aphid since. Its very reflective and the bugs just hate it.
Good idea, but don’t forget that black plastic accelerates soil warmth that accelerates establishment in spring and silver has the opposite affect. A serious hobbyist might start with black and lay some silver over it once things start to heat up in early summer.
This isn’t plastic like you were thinking but perhaps it could work. It’s only going to last a few years though. Depends what your budget is. They sell 12x24 pieces for $25 and free shipping. http://www.greenhousemegastore.com/product/megagrow-3-2-oz-ground-cover/landscape-fabric This will let water through. Downside is the cut places can fray a bit and have some messy strings.
I would think your last option (Husky 4mm plastic) is probably the best of the plastic but it depends what you want to do – the width can be cut if you are not trying to cover your whole large area though it takes paying attention to your cutting to stay pretty straight.
I was about to mention the warming effects of black plastic. Thanks for mentioning :).
Hmmmm but for the non-serious, but yet semi-serous hobbyist, which type of plastic mulch do you choose if you have to pick one hehe?
Hey aheartforhome, I think I am leaning on the Husky 4mm as well.
I’ve used a couple diff kinds of landscape fabric before (the more mesh-y kind that that one looks like or the more fabric-y one)…
if it lets the water through, I think the super-strong ridiculous kind of weeds can still grow through it (quite amazing to witness sometimes how weeds can survive) … Even with black plastic pool cover over the whole garden plot last year, with not much water making its way down into the areas Im protecting, I still see alot of strong weeds push those the plastic occasionally. I’ll lift up the plastic and see the weeds after months at end of the summer trying to ‘find their way out’. Realize there is nothing really on top of this plastic mulch cover I want to use (except a bit of straw to make the garden plot look prettier [and to use to place under watermelons]). In real life, I’ve used these kinds of fabrics at home a bit more successfully by placing 2 layers of protection (that cover and a real mulch cover on top of it [that i replace every few years], but alas not using 2 layers of protection at my community garden plot).
I think in fact the more ‘meshy’ types of landscape fabric over a few months, some weeds will still seed on top of it (it just needs a little bit of dirt to form in a low-lying area) and its roots penetrate into the mesh and pain to remove if don’t catch early (i’ve pulled a few out and ended up ripping the meshy plastic). So think I’ll stick with this Husky 4mm, sounds thick like almost Contractor-Bag-like.