Topic: carpets as ground cover.

[sandallwood]

where do  you aquire old carpets from? i  am told that you should only use natural fibre hessian backed, welcome any thoughts on this topic please :-\

[Obelixx]

We've used old carpets retrieved from the office when they were refurbishing.  It seemed like a good idea at the time and did suppress most of the weeds but not all of those nasty perennial ones that send long roots seeking underground - thistles,  couch grass etc..

Trouble is, carpet is very heavy when it gets wet and mucky from rain and people trundling back and forth with wheelbarrows of muck and garden waste.  It then becomes almost impossible to shift so think carefully and maybe invest in some porous weed suppressant fabric instead and peg it down with old wire coat hangers or old slabs or cobbles till it's done its work.

[Rose.mary]

Here here!!!

It has just cost me £90 for a skip to get rid of the previous owners carpet and rubbish.

Rosemary

[deboydoyd]

If you do want any (i use it for paths) ask at your local carpet shop. They have sizeable pieces they throw away in there skips and also large cardboard and plastic tubes usefull for planting parsnips and celery etc in.

[NeilB]

I'm not saying carpet may not be a good idea, but please spare a moment to think of the person who may take over your plot someday. I took over an allotment last december and seriously cursed the use of carpet on there from the previous owner! :)

[RSJK]

Sorry to say this but I think, and it is only my opinion no offence meant to anyone but, I think allotments are not a place for carpets think they make the place look most untidy.

[supersprout]

I have to agree with the carpet slaggers (groan). Have you got access to alternatives sandallwood?
Some peeps use cardboard/newspaper topped with mulch. The cardboard/newspaper dissolve in time, the soil goes yum, the worms are happy, and you won't have to dispose of wet, heavy, muddy carpet in a year's time. If you search on 'lazy sod' on this site, you'll find instructions.
If you were tempted by the black plastic route, and buy a roll of the perforated stuff, e.g. 4ft wide and as much as you can afford, it can look very nice whilst you get on with the cultivated bits.
Some of us use a paraquat weedkiller first - the next two months are ideal, as the weeds are putting on growth.
If you only have carpet, you could cut it into 1m squares and 'tile' it, overlapping - it will be easy to manage later and could look quite neat. Use a hessian-backed one. Or see if anyone you know wants to throw out 100% coir matting - this might rot down eventually, or you could compost it once its job is done :D

[MikeB]

I remember the use of carpet as a weed suppressant being aired on Gardeners' World and thought what a good idea. I had some old carpet which I used on part of my garden, conclusion DON'T!, the weeds get matted in it and grow though so in that respect it dosn't work.  Due to the matting it is also very difficult to remove the carpet.  One of the really bad moves that I have made.

[umshamrock]

I have used loads of carpet on my plot and it has been a total lifesaver. I covered over the whole plot and removed the carpet as i dug. i also cut the pieces into paths which work perfectly because they are flexible and easy to move around. Plus, carpet is perfect for covering compost or manure piles. Yeah, some weeds get through, but the areas that have been covered for months are so much easier to dig and are about 90% weed free. It's also a great way of recycling something that would otherwise get thrown away.

[bupster]

It's a very mixed topic. My allotment site's just banned the use of carpet, partly because of the chemicals and partly because old carpet buried under weeds wrecks rotavator tines. Unless you've got a load sitting around I wouldn't bother. The weed suppressant fabric isn't all that expensive, and is a lot easier to cart around (visions of me on bicycle with roll of old carpet not good! :))

On the other hand I quite like the 'carpet tiles' idea. If you do find some this could be the way forward. And certainly it would be good for paths.

[Daisy_Jane]

I used weed suppressant last year and it is very good but I keep tripping up on the stray strands from the edges and once the frayed bits get stuck in the soil it is really hard to disentangle it. >:(

Having removed a lot of pink (why is it always pink??) carpet from the plot when I took it on I agree with some of the sentiments above ...... but then the other week our office was re-carpet tiled and I took some of the old carpet tiles to the plot. They are great in that they stack when not in use, they are light and they are perfect path width  :)

Can't plant through them though...

[sandallwood]

thanks everyone, carpet problem solved, hubbie has got me a roll of black plastic sheeting and ive got lots of bricks etc i am recycling from my garden to weight it down with ;D
like the idea of use of carpet/ tiles for paths, am interested in the use of the cardboard tubes for growing parsnips etc, tell me more. :) 

[grawrc]

LOL! Daisy Jane I have just put a piece of carpet down on my plot and, yes! it sis pink!

[waggi]

the only problem is that if any weeds do grow under it it is a massive buggerence to pull it back up when you want to move it later

my last plot was covered in it and man it was a pain in the but and not the water type

waggi

[bennettsleg]

Carpet has been recommended to me to go ontop of the compost bin.  In light of the previous posts it does make sense as long as it is cut to size/tiled. The thought of it all over the plot though - nightmare.  Weed suppressant fabric is so much more manageable and very much a one-person job.

Waggi - love the ferret avatar, if only my husband would allow me!

[Daisy_Jane]

I found carting bricks up to the allotment to keep the black stuff in place back braking. I've started filling up old plastic drink bottles which have worked very well and are much easier to transport.

[bennettsleg]

I found carting bricks up to the allotment to keep the black stuff in place back braking. I've started filling up old plastic drink bottles which have worked very well and are much easier to transport.

Stupid question, forgive me, but is using a spade to shove the edges into the ground not an option?

[busy_lizzie]

We have used carpets in the past, but it is best if it has a hessian backing which is stronger and not the rubbery kind.  Our committee frown on the use of it too, because of it rotting and leaving a problem when it has to be got rid of - very messy business when it is all tangled up with weeds.  We have used cardboard too which is a much greener alternative if you can't afford proper sheeting. We seem to live in an area where people throw things out into skips a lot so eveything is easy to come by.  busy_lizzie

[grawrc]

I'm confused. If the carpet is wool and the hessian is also a natural fibre will they not rot down? Or does it take a million years? ;D

[Robert_Brenchley]

If it's 100% natural fibre then it will rot down eventually, but it'll take years. Having dug several carpets out of the couch when I took the plot on, and burnt them, I wouldn't have it on the plot again. None of those were 100% natural though.