Topic: More about carpets

[compostclara]

Our Allotment Association has banned all non compostable materials.  I'm in favour, as I get fed up with neighbours who don't weed or cultivate, just put down more carpet or plastic.
BUT I do have two squares of carpet on top of my two wooden compost bins.  They have been there for 5 years and we ain't dead yet!  I want to comply with the rules, but are there any ideas what I can cover my compost bins with?  I'm tempted to knit them two 'quilts' (using pure wool, only, of course!)
Any ideas considered.

[asj]

Wood?

[goodlife]

Does that rule mean that you are not allowed non-compostable materials used on the ground or at all anywhere? I can understand if you are not allowed on ground but something to cover your compost bin is bit harsh.
I've used old compost bags with old towels inside or straw..made it like "quilt"...knitting seems a bit hard work ;D
Layers of cardboard would work for a while untill wet and worms will totally distroy them..but then you could always add new layer on.

[Trevor_D]

We've recently banned carpets as well, partly because of the modern materials & chemicals they may contain, but mainly because they were used by lazy gardeners who covered up ground with carpet and then forgot all about it, lost interest and left the problem for the next plot-holder to deal with.

But two things: first, we haven't banned the use of carpet for paths between raised beds or, as here, to cover compost heaps; and second, we haven't - can't?? - applied this retrospectively.

[compostclara]

Thanks for your replies - I had considered wood - rather too inflexible for my purposes, and cardboard - less tidy to look at than a discreet carpet.  Everyone else on site has to walk past our plot and I'm a bit 'house-proud' about the plot (pity I'm not house-proud about the house!)

Trevor - I'll ask the Association for more details, meanwhile, I wouldn't mind a bit of knitting over the winter months - my mind is already moving towards patterns of sunflowers...marrows...pea pods & :) tendrils... Now where are those needles? :) ;)

[cornykev]

They banned them on our site a few years ago but I don't think anyone took any notice, my next plot neighbour Sid has carpet on his bins and when he asked me about it.  I just told  him I didn't think it mattered on the bins.
Mainly carpets left on the soil and left to knit into the weeds are the problem, I have some on my paths to kill the weeds and grass but I can see problems with this if the wind gets hold of it and flattens someones plants.    ;D ;D ;D

[Susiebelle]

Carpets banned in our district too, we had a number of tenants walk away from their plots (may have received a little push for non cultivation) and just left layer upon layer of rotting carpet for others to clear up.  Having had to roll up my sleeves and lift rotting carpet - a very unpleasant job - then hiring a skip to carry it off site I can now understand the ruling.
However a small piece on top of compost bins is considered OK - different matter if you are gardening organically as the Organic Society specifically disallow carpet.

[Duke Ellington]

When we took over our allotment we found that the previous owner had used carpet and underlay all over the plot for paths. The carpet was bad enough but the underlay was hell to remove as the weeds had started to grow through it!!!.
When we tried to remove it  it kept breaking into small little bits. We finally removed it but to this day three years later we still find fragments of underay on our plot!!...and I curse everytime I find a bit of it!.

Duke

[rog_pete]

what about Hessian sacks?
they are natural and cheap and will do the job... or better still stuff some cardboard in them and then it adds some insulating quality

[aj]

What do they mean 'banned all non-compostable materials'?

What about plant pots, trugs, tools etc?

[tonybloke]

not allowed 'landscape fabric' around trees / bushes?


the usual issue with carpets is that they are left on the plot when folk give up plot (or are 'evicted' for whatever reason)
that is a management issue, the plot should be left in a good condition, or the previous tenant should be charged for  expense / hassle caused.

[elvis2003]

dont know how that could be policed in realty tony,as usually they are leaving BECAUSE the plot is in bad order? also,the plotholders that first put the carpet down left years and years ago. its a nice idea though

[Vinlander]

Our Allotment Association has banned all non compostable materials.  I'm in favour, as I get fed up with neighbours who don't weed or cultivate, just put down more carpet or plastic.

By cultivate do you really mean dig, hoe and churn??

The no-dig method is a respectable, productive and thoroughly workable way to manage a growing area - if it is done wrongly or neglected then it can go horribly wrong - but you can say the same about every other method.

Of all sheet mulches carpets do tend to encourage most neglect - mainly because they work extremely well for one season so people assume they will do the same the next - nightmare - they only repel weeds while they are loose and drier than the soil beneath and this advantage is gone in 6 months. Weeds rooted in carpet are 20x harder to get rid of.

Carpets that are intended to be permanent (like paths) should only ever be laid over plastic or membrane - the membrane breaks the link to soil moisture allowing the carpet to dry in good weather -  stopping 90% of weed invasion. The carpet stops the membrane degrading in sunlight. If you aren't allowed carpet you need woodchip on top.

Some people seem to have a fetish about being able to see bare soil - all I see when I look at bare soil is wasted energy, wasted chemicals (and possibly fuel) and nitrogen runoff.

I've even had the occasional complaint from people (who presumably need to go to the optician) because they assume anything that isn't in a row is a weed - in fact they are looking at land cress, purslane, salsify, chard - properly bred crop-plants that never seed at unexpected times so they are always either food or green manure. These same people have far more real weeds most of the growing season, and they tend to be the ones who tolerate bindweed in the corners of their plots etc!

Plastic in the soil is a pain but it isn't really a problem or risk (unless you burn it) - I have a traditionalist neighbour who uses any old wood on his boundaries - a lot of it is painted stuff. Around here most discarded skirting and doors etc. has old lead paint on it that sheds flakes that blow around - that's what I call a real problem.

I would say to your committee - take the lead-painted beam out of your own eye before you worry about the sliver of plastic in your neighbours eye...

[Robert_Brenchley]

I had a nightmare job when I first had my plot, digging out turf which had grown through the remains of old carpet. I can totally sympathise with a ban, but extending it to compost heaps is ridiculous!

[Dandytown]

Thanks for the information Vinlander.

I took over my plot (600 m2) in Sept 2009, cultivated half in 2010 and am looking to get the whole thing under control before spring 2011. My plot has fabulous soil, but has not been dug or hoed for at least 3 years.  As a result digging is done on my hands and knees as I meticulously remove as much bad stuff as possible so you can appreciate that I also want the paths done properly as well.

I am creating some permanent paths with carpet and am glad I read your post as it is not too late for me to underlay the carpet with plastic sheeting as suggested.

Thanks

DT

[Capt Pugwash]

I must admit to using some carpet to keep the weeds down in places, but I can understand why they are banned in some places.  Last year I was digging over (digging out a huge patch of Nettles) the south end of my plot, and was dismayed to find that some kind soul had just covered the Nettles with a 70's carpet.  Years later I was trying to get rid of them, and found that the carpet was tangled up with the thick runners and it took me two days to dig it all out  :( .

[tonybloke]

I must admit to using some carpet to keep the weeds down in places, but I can understand why they are banned in some places.  Last year I was digging over (digging out a huge patch of Nettles) the south end of my plot, and was dismayed to find that some kind soul had just covered the Nettles with a 70's carpet.  Years later I was trying to get rid of them, and found that the carpet was tangled up with the thick runners and it took me two days to dig it all out  :( .

again this shows bad site management, the problems shouldn't get that bad!!

[gp.girl]

Permanant paths can be made with cardboard and straw or woodchip. Just renew each year......amazingly will deter most weeds and slow down bindweed, dandelions, brambles etc......don't let alpine strawberries get into it though, I spent more time weeding them out than everything else combined. Oh well  :)