countrykat
Full Member
Posts: 29
Joined: Thu Oct 11, 2012 4:43 am
Location: ohio

Plastic mulch

I have been doing some reading on the different colored plastic mulch (colored visqueen) Can the black colored woven weed matt be used the same way? Has anyone who uses the plastic noticed a big difference? It seems there is always something new and awesome but how much of it is true vs marketing?

User avatar
ElizabethB
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 2105
Joined: Sat Nov 24, 2012 12:53 am
Location: Lafayette, LA

CountryKat - I HATE both woven and plastic weed barriers. The only time I use landscaping cloth is under gravel to keep it from sinking into the soil. As far as I am concerned it has no other use in the garden or landscape. The biggest draw back is that it impedes cultivation and blocks the natural nutrients of decomposing mulch. I would NEVER consider plastic. Non porous, hot, kills much needed micro organisms. A definite NO.

I had a landscaping business for 10 years. I can not tell you how much $$$ I made removing cloth from beds and gardens.

The BEST mulch for both water retention and weed control is a VERY thick (12"+) layer of pine straw. A little unsightly initially but it quickly packs down and is a very natural, attractive mulch. The needles weave together. They block sun and prevent weed seed germination while providing a cool zone for water retention. Water from rain or irrigation easily works it's way through the straw.

Can you tell that I have an aversion to landscape cloth either woven or plastic?

Good luck

imafan26
Mod
Posts: 13962
Joined: Tue Jan 01, 2013 8:32 am
Location: Hawaii, zone 12a 587 ft elev.

I have tried several weed barriers. Nutsedge pokes through everything except the non-woven barrier. It does not work well in the garden unless you run your water under the weed cloth because it is harder to keep the soil moist and the plant from drying out. It was my bad since it did not make the holes big enough and the mulch that had holes had to be installed the right way and I did not realize that. The water piles on top of the weedcloth if the perforated side is not laid correctly.

I have used weedcloth in paths and they do work awhile, but the weeds will still grow on top of them and if you wait too long like I did they will actually go through it. Any holes in the weed cloth lets other weeds through

When I planted through the weed cloth, I not only had problems watering but the weeds would come up right around the plants trhough the hole in the weed mat.

I did try red mulch on tomatoes and it seem to help the tomatoes grow better. The tomatoes were grown in a pot with a drip system so the red plastic mulch was only covering the surface of the pot.

User avatar
rainbowgardener
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 25279
Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:04 pm
Location: TN/GA 7b

I also hate landscape fabric. I tried the red plastic mulch and in my conditions with only a few plants, I couldn't tell that it made any difference.

User avatar
applestar
Mod
Posts: 30514
Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 7:21 pm
Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)

In terms of colored mulches, any black or dark colored mulch will warm the soil. I've seen some southern gardeners say that black plastic mulches can make the soil too hot for plants prone to suffering from the heat.

White or silver mulch is supposed to keep the soil cooler and also I have heard they can confuse some pest bugs and prevent them from bothering the plants -- I can't remember specifically which pests.

But I would think that the material of the mulch would make a difference too -- if water and air porous, it would be breathable and not hold in the hot/warm air so much, and if non-porous, irrigation becomes an issue -- you would HAVE to have some kind of an irrigation system under the mulch.

You wouldn't typically use rocks and stones in a vegetable garden, but when I made my dessert rock garden and mulched with white marble chips, I noticed that there was nightly condensation on the rocks that generally saturated the soil and especially around the perimeter of the bigger rocks. The marble chips also raised the pH of the soil.

The rest of my garden tends to be on the acid side and I need to add lime. So I only use pine straw and other acidifying mulch for acid loving plants and vegetables like potatoes and blueberries. Most of the time, I use (packing paper or cardboard), grass and weed clippings, fallen leaves and brush/tree trimmings, and hay and straw when I have them.

If warming the soil is the purpose, using not quite finished compost and flakes of spoiling hay as well as green grass clippings and UCG (used coffee grounds) will also work. DON'T PUT THEM TOO CLOSE TO/LET THEM TOUCH THE PLANTS.

tyler kramer
Newly Registered
Posts: 1
Joined: Wed Jan 14, 2015 12:45 am

plastic imo is a no- go. it does not benefit the soil and has way too many drawbacks, besides just being unnatural. mulch with alder or pine chips, clean straw, or leaves. if weeds are still a problem add more.

imafan26
Mod
Posts: 13962
Joined: Tue Jan 01, 2013 8:32 am
Location: Hawaii, zone 12a 587 ft elev.

A word on rock mulch. If cats are a problem frequenting your garden, rocks were actually recommended to keep them from using the area as a toilet. This works for under shrubbery. For the veggie garden. I plant intensively and I dig up only as much as I can plant again in a day. If I need more time than that, I have plastic fencing, the kind that construction uses as a temporary barrier and I lay that over the soil and use U wires to hold them down.

I do agree that mulching is probably the best and cheapest way all around to keep weeds down. It builds the soil as it decomposes and retains moisture. Weeds are easy to pull as long as you don't let them get a foothold in the soil.

There are mulches and there are mulches. Rubber mulch is fine for play areas for a soft landing under swings and some paths. Under that, I would use non-woven landscape fabric. Rubber is not good for planting areas. Over time it can get moldy and causes problems.

Stone mulches are good for drought tolerant plants and they do deter cats from using the area. White coral though, is very hard to keep white and getting dirt and some leaves off the stones over time gets hard and if you use pea gravel, it eventually washes away and need to be replaced.

Bark mulch. Same problems as stone, it is lighter so it washes away even faster and it changes color as it gets older, weeds will grow in it.

I prefer pine needles for mulch instead of shredded trees from the landscapers. The tree bark breaks down faster than the pine needles, but more importantly it packs. If it is thick, you have to water the mulch before you can water the soil unless your irrigation is under the mulch. Weeds grow back faster on bark mulch. Pine needles suppress weeds better, they do not decompose quickly, so they don't pack and more air and water gets to the soil. Pine needles are acidic, but my soil is alkaline so it is perfect. It can be alleopathic, it is how it suppresses weeds, so I cannot use it around any of the alliums. So far, the onions and lilies were the only ones that had a problem with the pine needles.

I do use the tree trimmings that have been chipped for pathways with landscape fabric beneath it. It will suppress some weeds, although weeds will grow on top of it, but they are not hard to pull if caught early enough. It is soft to walk on and eventually it becomes compost.



Return to “Vegetable Gardening Forum”