[Martin]

I've just spent a couple of hours lifting 20 square meters or so of old style carpet underlay that was stapled to our bedroom floor. It had obviously been moved from somewhere else as it was in various pieces, so you can imagine removing the staples was quite tedious.

The underlay is made of recycled fabrics, which I remember being called shoddy or flock when I lived in West Yorkshire as a child.

Thinking of the best way to use this on my plot/garden. It does seem to have some nylon type threads in it, but not a lot.

I could see it being very useful for mulching (I have a lot of new trees).

What else could I use it for?

Would it compost down? Should I use it to line a bean trench?

Ideas welcome.

[celtbhoy]

watch out for the slugs under it if you put it in the garden m8.

[noshed]

Collars round your cabbages?

[cozzcov]

Would it work as a black out for a no dig system.  ie leave it in place for a growing season and the weeds etc should die back, no digging required. Or is it the old fashioned 'felted' underlay? which like noshed said, use as collars around your brassicas

[mkhenry]

Unfortunately cheap shoody was often treated with obnoxious chemicals to prevent infestation by Carpet beetle and the like. Gabbage collars were not. Most lower priced carpet is treated with these dreadful low priced chemicals now,they work and do prevent carpet beetle but can cause bronchial problems in children.Asthma etc.So take care not to give your plot a dose of poison.You should also wear a mask when uplifting or even handling any previously laid shoddy.