[Jeanieblue]

We've just got our own allotment and I want to cover half, just short term, to suppress the weeds while we clear the rest.  I have some green, loosely woven stuff, probably windbreak, and was wondering if something like this would do the trick, covered with a mulch?   Refuse to use carpet! Thanks in advance for your good advice!   Jean

[richyrich7]

If it's loosely woven as you say chances are the weeds esp grasses will grow through it. What you could do is put layers of cardboard or similar down and cover with your material to stop it being blown around.

BTW I've seen people use newspaper as a light excl' mulch, soak whole papers in water then lay down overlapping the joins.

[WG.]

Darn, RR7 beat me to it.  Yes, cardboard underneath the mesh will make a superb short-term mulch.  When you are ready to clear a bit more, simply rake off the cardboard (use on compost heap, or as mulch elsewhere).

A few plastic milk bottles full of sand are ideal for holding mesh in place

[muntjac]

nuke it all with roundup let it die and then cover up the ground till your ready to work it with the cardboard and mesh . use tent pegs to secure it down  

[richyrich7]

nuke it all with roundup let it die and then cover up the ground till your ready to work it with the cardboard and mesh . use tent pegs to secure it down  

Just thinking about nuking stuff anybody ever used sodium chlorate for clearing unused ground and how long do you think before you could use again I reckon 6 months +, just that someone said down the plot the other day about doing it that way?

[muntjac]

dont use it on ground ya wanna grow on i was always told   great for drives n pathways is about all i know  

[richyrich7]

dont use it on ground ya wanna grow on i was always told   great for drives n pathways is about all i know  

Yeah that's what I thought I know it sits in the ground for yonks.
Cheers

[green fingers]

we have had the same problem with a new allotment and I bought some of the black membrane from ebay -the company is  based in boston.  Postage is expensive though - but it does work extremely well.  Think you have to clear a patch at a time, then cover it, then onto the next patch.  Now I have 3 areas cleared and feel the weeds are not taking over!  So have gone back, removed the membrane from the first patch and sown green manure

[Jeanieblue]

Thanks everyone for the advice. We thought it might work out very expensive to cover a huge area with black plastic. BUT we never thought of buying just enough to cover say two patches. AND we really like the idea of planting green manure on the dug areas.  ALSO want to apologise to all, but we am now praying for just a drop of rain to soften the ground so that I can get started.   Byeeeeee, Jean