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Old 06-11-2014, 10:47 AM
 
4,901 posts, read 8,710,313 times
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Gee, who would want plastic degrading into their soil?
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Old 06-12-2014, 07:59 AM
 
Location: Iowa
14,302 posts, read 14,552,216 times
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Another vote for newspapers, works great. The previous owners put landscape fabric down and it took me a long time to get rid of it. They didn't use it properly, total nightmare. Who puts black dirt on top of the fabric??? I've heard of cutting holes to put a plant through but not dirt on top. I'm not a fan of carpet either, trying to pull some up the weeds were totally entwined making it difficult.
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Old 06-12-2014, 08:15 AM
 
6,600 posts, read 8,934,209 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by susancruzs View Post
Another vote for newspapers, works great. The previous owners put landscape fabric down and it took me a long time to get rid of it. They didn't use it properly, total nightmare. Who puts black dirt on top of the fabric??? I've heard of cutting holes to put a plant through but not dirt on top. I'm not a fan of carpet either, trying to pull some up the weeds were totally entwined making it difficult.
Lots of people put mulch on top of landscape fabric. It may just be that over the years the mulch decomposed into dirt.
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Old 06-12-2014, 04:55 PM
 
Location: Coastal Georgia
50,117 posts, read 63,506,690 times
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I pull weeds frequently, before they can get too big, and I only water the specific plants, not the whole bed.
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Old 06-13-2014, 07:38 AM
 
10 posts, read 27,761 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mack Knife View Post
Cardboard. It works and enriches the soil as well.
I will definitely give that a try. I have been having the same problems

Regards
ReggaeSnuffBusHufferRider
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Old 06-13-2014, 02:56 PM
 
32,516 posts, read 37,054,443 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Statz2k10 View Post
Any suggestions?
Yes. Use a hoe.

Chop the weeds/grass at the roots. Weeds can't grow and you won't need to buy a gym membership. Win, win.
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Old 06-18-2014, 12:45 PM
 
Location: Kihei, Maui
177 posts, read 337,408 times
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Default Mulches

Quote:
Originally Posted by Vizio View Post
I plan to lay down newspaper, then straw on top of that.
The thought on the newspaper is that it forms a layer that moisture can go through that is strong enough so that any seeds that sprout have a hard tie getting through so they die. The paper normally rots in one season, so unless your mulch is thick it needs to be redone annually. Straw is an OK mulch for garden beds that get worked every year but it can bring in wheat or oat seeds with it. For flower beds and trees/shrubs a thick mulch of plain wood chips, bark, stone over the paper.

Instead of paper you can use any durable cloth material not good in gardens because of the residue/remnants. Commercial Farmers/gardeners that use black plastic use burners to remove it from the field when it is no longer useful. The landscape fabric is a poly fabric colored black to match soil colors and because black in the plastic gives it the best sunlight resistance if it is exposed.

Remember that if your planting perennial plants that self divide and spread the landscape fabric prevents this from happening. In commercial beds landscape pros don't want the plants to multiply because that means less sales in the future.
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Old 06-19-2014, 05:21 AM
 
Location: Bella Vista, Ark
77,772 posts, read 104,313,949 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mack Knife View Post
Cardboard. It works and enriches the soil as well.
Actually it didn't work for us and I was really disappointed. I had heard about it, so tried it 2 years ago. I might have done something wrong.

OP, that is the 64,000.00 question. I think we all wish we had an answer. Things like Round up will work, but if you are talking about growing a vegetable garden, can't go the round up route. I just try to keep pulling the grass out. Usually by about August I give up.
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Old 06-19-2014, 05:22 AM
 
Location: Bella Vista, Ark
77,772 posts, read 104,313,949 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Vizio View Post
I plan to lay down newspaper, then straw on top of that.
We have used straw without the newspaper and it works as well, if not better than anything.
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