Vegetable garden weed barrier??
General South Florida
First post to this forum so excuse my ignorance. I'm in the process of building a 16'x12' vegetable garden that is not raised. my question was about weed barrier for this garden, since I live in south Florida I wanted to use the black fabric WB but I'm not sure if it would be be to hot to use it. Any responses are welcomed.
Posted
by: Rustynails
(1 point)
Posted: September 10, 2013
Answers
Wherever I've encountered weed-barrier fabric, it's been more of a nuisance than a help. Bermuda grass will grow through it, and the fabric holds enough moisture underneath that it nurtures weeds that are inaccessible unless you rip out the fabric.
I've used cardboard or a few layers of newspaper as a weed barrier effectively. The purpose is to block light so that seeds won't germinate. You need to overlap the edges and cover the cardboard or newspaper with mulch.
Here's a photo of what I found under the "weed barrier" fabric at a garden plot I started leasing in May.
I've used cardboard or a few layers of newspaper as a weed barrier effectively. The purpose is to block light so that seeds won't germinate. You need to overlap the edges and cover the cardboard or newspaper with mulch.
Here's a photo of what I found under the "weed barrier" fabric at a garden plot I started leasing in May.
Bermuda grass thrives under weed fabric.
Posted
by: Tanya in the Garden
(128 points)
Posted: September 11, 2013
I garden in Florida, including South Florida - I agree on the plastic or fabric being a nuisance. Cardboard or newspaper works fine - you just put it down, then mulch over the top to keep it in place. As a bonus, it rots and leaves some humus behind.
However, with the nice loose sand down South, I rarely use any weed barrier. I find that a scuffle hoe works wonders on removing weeds with very little work. A few minutes here and there and it's done.
Unless I was planting long-term perennials, like I did here, I would simply weed with the scuffle hoe instead of gathering up materials for mulching.
However, with the nice loose sand down South, I rarely use any weed barrier. I find that a scuffle hoe works wonders on removing weeds with very little work. A few minutes here and there and it's done.
Unless I was planting long-term perennials, like I did here, I would simply weed with the scuffle hoe instead of gathering up materials for mulching.
Posted
by: David Goodman
(69 points)
Posted: September 11, 2013
black (or clear) to make it hot, white to make it cool and blue to make it grow. Plastic will help keep moisture in better than brown paper and cardboard, but is prone to mold and fungal problems in the roots. Paper and cardboard are cheap,effective weed barriers that can be tilled into the soil every year to add nutrients. You can also use cloth grain sacks and well-washed cotton fabrics but you can't till them into the soil.
Posted
by: J.D. Archer
(31 points)
Posted: September 11, 2013
Tanya in the Garden commented,
Cloth can go in the compost, though. I've composted old clothes -- especially if I wore them for gardening until they were threadbare. over 10 years ago.
Cloth can go in the compost, though. I've composted old clothes -- especially if I wore them for gardening until they were threadbare. over 10 years ago.
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Well thanks for the responses everyone. I'm still in the early stages of building the garden and I'm hoping to start mixing in some soil this weekend,Weater permitting. Judging on the responses I guess I'm going to start collecting some cardboard and newspaper to use as weed barrier. I'm still on the fence as to use as a mulch over the cardboard. over 10 years ago.
In my area, the easiest-to-obtain free mulch comes from tree trimmers. Call around to find out who'll be working in your neighborhood. They're usually eager to unload a truckload locally instead of driving it all the way to the landfill. But I don't know what works best in Florida.
over 10 years ago.