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Hi all,

What is best to use: ordinary black plastic or woven porus weed membrane?

I have a spot full of weed: I would like to flatten the weed and to cover it up to prefend new weed coming up. It would be perfect if I could use this spot for next year. Would it also be right to cover this area first with manure before covering up?

Han

Ordinary black plastic is cheaper and 'll do the job.

My paths are covered in the black woven stuff with wood chips on top, and I have found couch grass grows through it, and annual weeds seed on top of it! Plain black plastic, the thicker the better is much better at clearing ground if you can leave it long enough.

Black plastic is better for smothering the weeds but you cant grow through it .. I use the woven stuff for my courgettes and strawberries and it is great for that - also have some surrounding my currant bushes then topped with tree chippings. 

You can grow through the black plastic by cutting slits in it, as you would with the woven stuff- I've done this with courgettes before -but it does tend to give the slugs somewhere to hide and when you water you need to make sure the water goes to the plant rather than sitting on the plastic!

Quote from: caroline7758 on September 23, 2012, 11:53:45
You can grow through the black plastic by cutting slits in it, as you would with the woven stuff- I've done this with courgettes before -but it does tend to give the slugs somewhere to hide and when you water you need to make sure the water goes to the plant rather than sitting on the plastic!

Surely watering is a problem... it can only go where the slits are so most could run off when it rains.. If you water by hand I suppose you can direct it for a period of time at the plant area tho.. but I rely on rain - mostly - but I do have a tap I can use.

Landscape the bit underneath with some manure so that the water is directed to where the plants are...

Quote from: chriscross1966 on September 23, 2012, 22:12:17
Landscape the bit underneath with some manure so that the water is directed to where the plants are...

ok I see now... thanks CX

I use the woven stuff for paths with no problem with weeds for the last 3 years so far. The only problem is if I allow mud to collect on top anywhere and then weeds find that but they are easy to pull off. I wouldnt put woodchip on top because I would guess that mud collects in in and it becomes a lovely medium for weeds.

Quote from: gwynleg on September 24, 2012, 19:17:20
I use the woven stuff for paths with no problem with weeds for the last 3 years so far. The only problem is if I allow mud to collect on top anywhere and then weeds find that but they are easy to pull off. I wouldnt put woodchip on top because I would guess that mud collects in in and it becomes a lovely medium for weeds.

Ditto for me. I've used the woven as paths but haven't ever put anything on top. (I don't care how it looks just so I don't have to weed  veg garden paths!) The woven black plastic has held up for a couple years now and still looks good (well, as good as black plastic can look). A scrape of the hoe removes any weed that thinks it is home. It has been used under winter squash which keeps them off the ground and less slug damage.

Black plastic sheeting on paths even with bark on top  might get slippery to walk on . Just a thought.

I'd go for the woven stuff, if you're planning to manure before putting a covering down this type will allow weather/water etc to help rot it down.

Charles Dowding #nodig has a different take on this and goes with the OP's question.

It doesnt sound like the OP wants to grow this autumn - but to wait.

Smother stubborn weeds overwinter with a good layer of mulch/manure and then thick cardboard or black plastic over the top. I would suggest both and in that order. The card is a great protein feed for worms and will be pulled down. Get everything well weighted down, even allowing water to sit on top, so as to weight down further. Keep light OUT at all costs, so woven is a no-no.

we're using 4x card first, then mulch/compost/manure with no plastic because we're growing in the beds now and all winter. Our mulched layer is > 9inches and we'll keep it topped up with seaweed, manure etc. This is even killing off HT.

good luck and take care, Roy and Tanya