Marestail and raised beds.

[drmullar]

Hi there,

I am planning to create a couple of raised beds on my marestail infested plot.

As the marestail is almost indestrucable, what should I use to line the raised beds to prevent the marestail growing up into the beds? Would a woven weed control fabric work? (although the marestail is growing though the gravel covered woven fabric on a neighbouring plot.) or would builders damp proof membrane be better?

[drmullar]

[silly billy]

Unless you puncture it the membrane won't allow any water to drain away and the weed control fabric will not allow any root crops through it. If you don't intend growing roots then I would use the fabric.

[Borlotti]

I think the marestail will win whatever you do.  I am just off to pull/dig up some on my allotment, but luckily the vegetables seem to grow amongst it.  If you find a way of getting rid of it let me know.  Joe Swift has got it on his allotment so perhaps he will come up with an answer.  One man burnt it with a flame gun but it still came back.

[manicscousers]

this is how we raised beds on our marestail, waterlogged site  ;D
put down cardboard (apparently shops give it away ), thick stuff, covered it in about 8" to a foot of soil/well rotted muck/compost. whatever we could get our hands on, really.
left it overwinter with weed control on, we still get some coming through but it doesn't like well worked soil, it likes wet, hard stuff, ours was sour clay, and it pulls up quite easily  :)
hope that helps, we also mulch the beds up every year