Allotments 4 All

Hi,

Just pulled up the living room carpet and underlay, saving the carpet for the veg patch, but wondering if we could use the underlay also or would the rubber be toxic?  If we can use it, maybe a daft question, but should it go down rubber or woven side down?

:-\ sand

I would not use the underlay, all sorts of nasties as it breaksdown. I would only ever use natural fibre carpet as a weed suppressant.

Jerry

Hi all
I never seem to have any spare ground for what I'm growing so no need for carpit.
If i do leave a bit empty i just hoe it once a week & that keeps the weeds down.

I agree with you tel, I don't like idle ground. I'd rather it was growing crops, green manure, or even weeds (annual, not seeding) than covered up with carpet. There isn't anywhere on my plot either that hasn't got something growing in it. Whoops, where will I put the onions? :'(

The other side to carpet underlay is that it's excellent for use as a cabbage root fly barrier. Cut a large square of it (at least 3-4" per side) and cut to just past the centre from the edge, then a smaller cut across the centre at right angles. Put it round the stalk when you plant your seedlings; heaps cheaper than the cardboardy ones they sell and less likely to cut the stem because it is bendy. 

Only last for a season though - they perish through exposure to light and heat, but at least they're easy to pick up!

moonbells

Thanks all,

While I agree about keeping the ground busy, we have only been here for a few months and have a large area of lawn that we are gradually turning over to veg, we've cut up a lot of it and put it to rot in the compost but still have a lot to do so a carpet or two will really help us.

We moved in in June and had the beans in the next day.  Still managed to get lettuce, frisee, carrots, turnips, rocket, peas, cabbage, purple sprouting broccoli, runner beans, french beans, pis-en-lit, courgettes etc.  Rasberries in soon.  Things have got a bit out of hand though with trying to work in the house too - oh and go to work!  The ground that has been dug over is quickly getting weeds on it as we live next to fields.  Got some muck and spreading it about.

I think next year could be very interesting. 

sand