Weedmat
Posted: Wed Aug 13, 2008 4:26 pm
I have just bought 3x 20m rolls of the stuff which were on special offer.
I have never laid this stuff before and would like some advice.
I have a large veggie garden which is being increased by a border say 5 or 6m long by 1m wide each year. (we have plenty of land, just not much soil in the land, so having to increase by composting, once we have enough a new border is dug) this is it a couple of years ago
When we bought the place the paths between the borders were covered in weed mat - I suspect the weed mat maybe 10 years old. It has now disintegrated to the point of being useless. Obviously it needs to come up and be replaced.
there are a few questions.
1)We have a big place (10 acres) and a lot of jobs to do round the place and unlike my nicely manicured little veggie patch in the UK, I do not have the time to weed as I did (also the veggie patch is out of sight so doesn't get weeded as often as it should).
Now replacing the path bits is easy - but would it benefit from shingle being dumped on it (we have an unlimited supply of the stuff on this place), or would this make it more likely to form soil, we have a lot of pine trees and the needles get everywhere
2) Does weed mat reduce water evapouration? I am about to plant around 35 currant bush cuttings (rooted) and was thinking of putting it down first and then planting through it
3) Does it sound a good idea to put weed matting down over the veggie patch and plant seeds through it - my theory is that it will keep the weeds down and reduce water evaporation. However was wondering if it might cause some seeds to rot.
4) There is also a herb garden that is growing in size and also in weeds, how difficult is it to put wee mat down over existing plants (and cutting it to let them come through obviously)?
alternatively any other sugestions for reducing weeding would be greatly appreciated.
I have never laid this stuff before and would like some advice.
I have a large veggie garden which is being increased by a border say 5 or 6m long by 1m wide each year. (we have plenty of land, just not much soil in the land, so having to increase by composting, once we have enough a new border is dug) this is it a couple of years ago
When we bought the place the paths between the borders were covered in weed mat - I suspect the weed mat maybe 10 years old. It has now disintegrated to the point of being useless. Obviously it needs to come up and be replaced.
there are a few questions.
1)We have a big place (10 acres) and a lot of jobs to do round the place and unlike my nicely manicured little veggie patch in the UK, I do not have the time to weed as I did (also the veggie patch is out of sight so doesn't get weeded as often as it should).
Now replacing the path bits is easy - but would it benefit from shingle being dumped on it (we have an unlimited supply of the stuff on this place), or would this make it more likely to form soil, we have a lot of pine trees and the needles get everywhere
2) Does weed mat reduce water evapouration? I am about to plant around 35 currant bush cuttings (rooted) and was thinking of putting it down first and then planting through it
3) Does it sound a good idea to put weed matting down over the veggie patch and plant seeds through it - my theory is that it will keep the weeds down and reduce water evaporation. However was wondering if it might cause some seeds to rot.
4) There is also a herb garden that is growing in size and also in weeds, how difficult is it to put wee mat down over existing plants (and cutting it to let them come through obviously)?
alternatively any other sugestions for reducing weeding would be greatly appreciated.