Complete ground covering-is this the cheapest way

[MaryM]

I have just taken over a plot (about 36 yards by 9 yards) and I want to cover it in black plastic to suppress the weeds and thn dig it as I get time.  The price for the heavy gauge black plastic is working out to be around £100-is there a cheaper option?

[MaryM]

[saddad]

Green Manures?
;D
Sorry probably not in a state to dig let alone sow seeds yet..
::)

[supersprout]

Where are you looking Mary? I use large rolls of perforated plastic about 4 ft wide, I think they were either from Kays, LBS, Tenax or Harrod Horticultural (wish I could remember, it was about £45/roll and has lasted me ages).
Do you know farmers who would deliver spoiled hay or straw they can't sell? If you do, a really thick layer - eight inches or so - will suppress most weeds and keep the soil moist.
Cheaper? Flattened cardboard boxes, from the supermarket or skip outside DIY shops.
Sounds like a good plan - good hunting! ;D

[zorro]

Try skip hunting or anybody recarpeting spread the carpet over the plot to kill the weeds but this takes time. Z

[zorro]

forgot to add  IT'S FREE ::)

[lynndan16]

Try a builders yard rather that garden centres.  We paid £22 for a roll of heavy duty black plastic enopugh to cover our plots.

Lynn.

[silly billy]

I found the cheapest way is to get some of the weed surpressing fabric which is fairly cheap then cover that with a tarpaulin brought from b n q.Worked really well on our plot and was far cheaper than black plastic.

[timmyc]

We found 10mx2m sheets of black plastic (perforated) in Tesco in Buckingham for I think £2.49 - labelled as week supressing plastic and as far as I know the sheet I put down is still surpressing weeds - it is a little thin - but it seems to be doing the job nicely - currently being held down by pumpkins and squashes!

[Robert_Brenchley]

Scavenge; you never know what you'll find. I got a large heavy-duty tarpaulin early on which does sterling duty along with various bits of black plastic. The  only drawback is the weight of the d**n thing when I want to move it.

[Curryandchips]

I agree with the scavenge approach. If you visit the rear of premises  like B&Q, you will find they are often dumping damaged goods, eg punctured sheet materials. A polite word often, they will allow you to take the stuff away, as it means they don't have to skip it. Our local stores yard get treated to the odd produce, and are very helpful.

[davy1]

DO NOT USE CARPET.
1. Foam back carpet is the only thro which weeds will not grow.
2. The main reason is, all carpets have at least 10% synthetic fibre in them
     this come away from the carpet and will not rot so stays in the soil.
3.  Carpets are dyed using dyes from coal tar chemicals and can be toxic.
4.  They are also treated with other chemicals to make them fire resistant, stain resistant, insact proof and water proof. All of these will be released into the soil when it rains. Not to mention what will happen if they get mixed with agro chemicals IE weed killer growmore etc.
Here endeth the lesson

[Merry Tiller]

I've used carpet for years and I'm fine.........penguin.....wibble

[davy1]

Its a "live and let live situation" so that the indervidual may garden organiclly or not as that gardner chooses. Carpets used in this way may cause a elergic reaction to some inderviduals. Nothing more can be gained by using carpet than using 6m polythine with less likelihood to any threat to health.

[Squashfan]

Yup, we used carpet too until somebody clued us in.  :P Green manure or straw is the thing for us now.

[Robert_Brenchley]

I wouldn't have thought carpet wouyld be too harmful provided it's removed within a reasonable time; non-organic gardeners are pouring all sorts of dodgy chemicals on their plots, after all. What I really object to is struggling to remove the decayed remains of the last plotholder's superannuated carpet, whicxh has become embedded in turf!

[Merry Tiller]

I've used carpet for years and I'm fine.........penguin

WHooooosh

[grawrc]

That's my next job Robert, now I've got rid of the luxuriant nettles growing through it.

[plot51A]

Our site now bans the use of carpet - mainly because it can be so difficult to remove, especially when wet - and then was just getting dumped around the place.

[Curryandchips]

I can see why, it is foul stuff to deal with after the weather has got to it. OUr committee has a notice up now, dealing with 'dumping' in general.

[ThomsonAS]

Corrugated cardboard is something I'm using - big sheets from fridges or TV sets. Easily scrounged for no cost. Lay it down and cover with some soil so it doesn't blow away. Eventually it rots back into the soil.

Much better than carpet.