weeds and black plastic

[Jeannine]

Hi,at the back end of last season due to the floods last year one of my lotties looks like a jungle, I have bougft two very heavy long commercail rolls of black plastic that should cover it.

Should I just put it over whatever is there , or clear the top surface first, hoping not to have to

If I just rest this lottie this year, how long should the plastic stay down to do the best job.

Will it kill couch grass roots.


Thank you XX Jeannine

[Jeannine]

[euronerd]

All I ever do Jeannine is make sure there are no sharp bits sticking up that'll puncture the plastic, then cover and leave. I guess you could go to endless trouble clearing as much as you could but the difference in my experience is negligible. I've never left anything covered for more than a few months so can't answer the next bit but you'd think the longer the better wouldn't you? Couch grass is very patient; it'll just slouch there until you uncover, then it'll be off again. ;D

Geoff.

[bupster]

Couch will die off eventually, but if you want to get it into action within the next twelve months then digging is going to be involved, I suspect! If the plastic is tough then you should be ok without clearing the topgrowth, but if you have brambles etc you'll have to hack the worst of them off or they'll tear the plastic, and everything will grow through the holes!

Yours, a great fan of plastic,
Bupster

[manicscousers]

we put down very thick cardboard over our marestail and couch grass, then put 6 to 8 inches of well rotted muck on top, very mimimal re-growth so, if you can put card down, under the plastic, it should kill lots off for you  :)

[jockomorrocco]

my only concern with covering large areas with plastic is that in extreme weather conditions the water has to go some where and it can cause mini streams

[B]

Hi

Where can rolls of black plastic be obtained from?