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General => Top Tips => Topic started by: Emagggie on April 18, 2006, 16:32:55

Title: Securing Black Plastic
Post by: Emagggie on April 18, 2006, 16:32:55
Does anyone have any bright ideas on securing black plastic so the plot doesn't look like a junk yard? I have tried an assortment of metal/plastic pegs which were worse than useless  :(
At the mo I have been wombling on the disused part of our site and used the junk I found. (bricks etc.) There must be a better way I'm thinking.......
Title: Re: Securing Black Plastic
Post by: Curryandchips on April 18, 2006, 17:26:37
The plastic is being used to suppress weeds, perhaps for working the ground later when time is available? I have used soil itself, piled over the edges of the plastic, after using any lengths of wood or metal to hold the plastic down temporarily. If you wish to do this in a deliberately organised way, then dig a vee trench where you wish the plastic to be, lay it in place so the edges drop into the vee and backfill with the soil removed.

Good luck.
Title: Re: Securing Black Plastic
Post by: supersprout on April 18, 2006, 18:01:58
Hi emagggie, I use metal 'u' shaped pegs from a garden shop to fix the edges. You can get the same pegs free by cutting up wire coathangers. Burying the edges in soil works fine too, but is harder work :P

I did buy those plastic pegs with the round tops and fins on, the ones you hammer in, which are fine if you never lift the plastic up again! But I wouldn't buy them again. If you have a large area of plastic, it will have to be weighed down with planks, bags of compost etc. to stop it heaving about in the wind, but you can arrange in neat horizontals or lines to avoid that distressing junkyard effect ;)

This thread might be useful:
http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/joomla/component/option,com_smf/Itemid,57/topic,15258.0
Title: Re: Securing Black Plastic
Post by: onionhead on April 18, 2006, 19:53:15
Hmm, I used metal pegs only to find the plastic sailing away on the breeze the following day. After that it was whatever I could find on the plot to weigh it down with (wood, bricks, old fence panels, etc.) all covered with a patchwork of mulches (bark chippings, spent compost, straw) for aesthetic effect. Looks terrible... but I like to think it has character!
Title: Re: Securing Black Plastic
Post by: SMP1704 on April 18, 2006, 19:57:01
Plant through it ;D ;D  then you get ancourage and a decorative, productive look.  I also have a mix of bricks and wooden planks around the edges, just in case.
Title: Re: Securing Black Plastic
Post by: Robert_Brenchley on April 18, 2006, 21:00:38
I use old bricks. It's not photogenic but they won't blow away.
Title: Re: Securing Black Plastic
Post by: Roy Bham UK on April 18, 2006, 23:01:51
Same here, old bricks or broken slabs do it 4 me ;D
Title: Re: Securing Black Plastic
Post by: Emagggie on April 19, 2006, 12:32:33
Well I think the bricks will stay,at least till I've had a go at making some BIG pins. The spuds are all tucked in (thanks for the info,Supersprout), so maybe when it all starts to grow it will be a thing of beauty anyhow.
Thanks everyone for your input, it's great to have other peoples tried and tested ideas. ;)
Title: Re: Securing Black Plastic
Post by: Bramley on May 07, 2006, 17:41:45
I use those black pegs that have been mentioned, but I don't put them through the plastic. I put them in the ground around the edges, then I have some strong garden string that I whined around the pegs and accross the plastic back and forth  forming  a criss cross, so the plastic doesn't blow away.

This means you don't make big holes in it and can take it up very easily.
Title: Re: Securing Black Plastic
Post by: Emagggie on May 07, 2006, 19:35:53
Brilliant, Bramley, that's the answer.Easy when you know how. ;D ;D ;D
Many thanks
Title: Re: Securing Black Plastic
Post by: redimp on May 07, 2006, 19:58:18
The only thing that works for me is to hold it down using bags of leaf mould.
Title: Re: Securing Black Plastic
Post by: Emagggie on May 07, 2006, 20:58:54
Bit short on leaves as ours is a fairly new garden,and I'm learning lots about what's worth collecting and what to do with it thanks to all you lovely people. ;D
Title: Re: Securing Black Plastic
Post by: Meg on May 08, 2006, 14:05:46
Bags of compost, bricks,pallets. Boy does it do the job though and saves such a lot of work.
Title: Re: Securing Black Plastic
Post by: supersprout on May 08, 2006, 14:11:42
Bags of spent hops here!
Title: Re: Securing Black Plastic
Post by: Emagggie on May 08, 2006, 15:10:52
Are you fermenting your own, SS?
Title: Re: Securing Black Plastic
Post by: supersprout on May 08, 2006, 15:21:05
LOL, we are lucky emagggie, one of the plotholders is Second Brewer at the local Oakham Ales and brings down bags of spent hops from the brewing in his van for any plotholders who will take them! They rot away quietly whilst they're holding down the plastic. Here they are mulching the peas :)

(http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e220/supersprout/DSCN0926.jpg)

Plenty to spare if you are ever down my way ;D
Title: Re: Securing Black Plastic
Post by: Emagggie on May 08, 2006, 17:24:49
I bet they smell divine  ;D Do you get free samples of the finished product on a hot and thirsty day? :P :P
I am coming to the conclusion that there is not much that can't be used for a good old mulch.............!
Photos of your plottie always look so organised, SS
Title: Re: Securing Black Plastic
Post by: Garden Manager on May 12, 2006, 22:06:45
i am afraid I must be a bit boring.  I use old bits of brick have collected (from building work, out the soil etc) to anchor things like fleece cloches and plastic mulches. I did though use some wire cut into lengths and bent double to use as pegs for the landscape fabric i planted my cabbages through, howver I dont know how good the will be in really windy weather, or on a windy allotment.

I wish I could think up a more attractive method of anchoring, since my veg plot by nessesity is in the middel of my garden and in full veiw of the house. However bricks dont look too bad and suit the kind of rustic feel of the garden.

Sorry i couldnt be much help.
Title: Re: Securing Black Plastic
Post by: Emagggie on May 16, 2006, 18:19:21
But EVERYBODY has been so much help.Thanks again one and all.

Now secured with a mixture of pegs and string ang a good few bricks.
Pots , marrows & cougettes and sun flowers all growing through nicely.
Very pleased with myself !!! ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: Securing Black Plastic
Post by: Emagggie on May 22, 2006, 09:05:29
And pride goeth before a fall !!!!!
All cougettes and marrows now eaten by slugs I presume, that'll larn me to be so smug :(
Title: Re: Securing Black Plastic
Post by: supersprout on May 22, 2006, 19:06:32
sorry to hear it emagggie >:(
never mind, bags of time to sow more (just say the word if you're short of seeds)
:)
Title: Re: Securing Black Plastic
Post by: Emagggie on May 22, 2006, 20:18:15
Thanks SS, doing a recce any minute now to see what I've got left in the way of seeds. :)
Title: Re: Securing Black Plastic
Post by: Ricado on May 28, 2006, 22:06:25
sorry if a little obvious, but how about inserting it into the ground with a shovel or spade ? 

Ive done this very sucessfully and planted courgettes etc through it.

I first selected a piece of plastic that was much larger than the area to be covered, laid it out with equal overlap, then work your way round with a shovel, push down until the plastic is well buried and taut.  Keep going round and round until the plastic is as taut as you want it.  This method does use much more plastic than the area covered, but a small price to pay i think.  its very quick, and if it comes loose (which it shouldnt) just push it back in again.  The only thing i did do was stand a rhubarb forcer on each corner for good measure (but i dont think it would move anyway !
Title: Re: Securing Black Plastic
Post by: Emagggie on May 28, 2006, 23:11:53
That sounds worth a go Ricardo,the ground is nice and soft now so it shouldn't be to arduous. Don't think my plastic is thick enough though,but I have since found some landscaping fabric cheepo.Might put it on the top for good measure.
Title: Re: Securing Black Plastic
Post by: John_H on June 11, 2006, 14:33:19
I make 'soil bags' to use as weights. I fill one carrier bag up with soil and tie a knot it in and then put it in another carrier bag, so I can use the handles to carry it.

When I don't need them any more I empty all the soil out and throw all the old bags away.

If you are planting things through plastic, you could have a think abut making plastic collars from the middle sections of 2ltr drinks bottles which you can push into the soil as a barrier. If you cut small slits in one end (about half a cm apart) you can then bend the rim outwards to make it more difficult for the slugs to climb up over the top.

I take the collar off once the plant is too tough for the slugs to eat and then use it on another younger transplant.

(http://static.flickr.com/45/161589847_fb10decdcf.jpg?v=0)
Title: Re: Securing Black Plastic
Post by: Emagggie on June 11, 2006, 18:17:37
That's brill John, I'm going to adopt that one as well!!!!!!!!!!!! ;D ;D ;D
Thankyou.