Has anyone used this stuff?
http://www.biobags.co.uk/products/mulch.htm (http://www.biobags.co.uk/products/mulch.htm)
It looks interesting, but it's not cheap is it! :-\ At 1.5m wide it would only just cover my raised beds, no room for tucking in! What were you thinking of growing on it Caroline?
Hadn't really thought, but as an alternative to non-biodegradable black plastic it looks like a good idea. Pricewise, I thought the price for 9 rolls at $38.50 wasn't too bad- cheaper than similar stuff elsewhere.
But you would need to buy it every year and did I read this right - that after 40 days it starts to break down?
Not sure how robust it would be at holding back the baddies like bindweed and horsetail.
Give it a go - you won't know till you try...........
Quote from: caroline7758 on February 21, 2008, 08:31:42
Has anyone used this stuff?
The very first line of instructions state:
QuoteDIRECTIONS: Weed the vegetable garden thoroughly.
Having done that, there would be no need to use it ???
I haven't used the product you mentioned - but I'm thinking of trying Strulch this year - it rots down too but takes longer and looks nice in the meantime.
You can get it from Wiggly Wrigglers....
http://www.wigglywigglers.co.uk/shop/foundoption.lasso?-session=shopper:504AF77A056c019913Kou15CD494
I've wondered several times about this stuff - thought it would be good to plant onions etc. through.
http://www.organiccatalog.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=61_184&products_id=2493
we've bought some bags of strulch, it was half price in tescos...
the thing caroline showed looks good though... 9 rolls at $38.50 is reasonable i think! hmmmmmmmm hmmm
Sorry- that $ should be £. I've got an Australian keyboard!
A do-it-yourself version seen on a blog (sorry a while ago and can't remember where) used wetted newspapers mixed with wallpaper glue (without fungicide) and/or flour-water paste. This was turned into matting that set hard over the soil, so less likely to blow away than newspapers just spread on ground. I recall some members plant through cardboard for the same affect.
A similar biodegradeable plastic is starting to turn up as the packaging for frozen veg and on some bin liners.
A word of warning about Strulch; be very careful where and how you store it. I bought a bag last year which I have been using in my homemade compost as a leaf mould substitute. When I went out in the garden today I found that something (rodents I suspect) had nibbled a hole in the bag and started pulling the stuff out. :( Needless to say I have thrown it away as I have no way of knowing if the little b*ggers have been inside the bag and done their business. >:(
And no Caroline, I haven't tried the product you asked about. I use cocoa shells on my border.
G x
I wouldn't worry if they had myself; its just a bit of extra nitrogen. I don't think you can get very far from rodent excreta on an allotment.