[jonotaylor]

I know this is an oldish post, but....

Is the moderation or personal views of the moderators not a little heavy handed here - 4 mods/admins with strong views on one post?  Not sure other opinions are really getting a chance.

I am sure all the admins/mods are all very experienced, but this post comes across quite one-sided to me.  Especially the mod-after-mod posts, one after another, confirming their agreement/allegiance with one another's point of view; which excludes other opinion by the nature of posting.

Whether or not carpet is the right solution, the advice appears based on opinion only.  Unless we can cite examples of scientific test and proof (or any scientifically backed up statement) of leeching of chemicals in to the soil, etc, then this looks like opinion.  CAPITAL letters or BOLD do not make the opinion more factually correct.

My view is that I would use carpet, plastic sheet (used it before and it was OK, kept the space covered, hence manageable, until the next season when I could cultivate it;  but had no long term weed killing effect as they all came back as soon as it was lifted), or glyphosate (used very effectively for 7 years +) to try and keep on top of a patch of earth that I could not otherwise manage; depending on which ever solution I could financially afford.  I would take on board experience from people like John and lift/change the carpet before it  became a problem, but not be influenced by the online equivalent of SHOUTING.

[joyfull]

Jonotaylor please may I ask you to take 5 minutes to read the site policies especially this part:-

If you disagree with our site policies or any moderation carried out please contact a moderator or the site Admin rather than posting your complaint/query on the open forums.

If you dislike our site policies please feel free to find a forum whose policies you do like and agree with, especially as I believe you would have been asked to read them upon joining. Those that moderate on the gardening sections do have a vast knowledge on these things.

[jonotaylor]

Hello joyful,

Sorry, I thought I was responding to member views, not moderator views.

[mumofstig]

It has already been posted in this thread that you can disagree freely with the points of view that have been posted........ so you are welcome to add your point of view as have others.

Moderators answer questions as members, as John (the site owner) has already pointed  out in his earlier post. In this case the opinion was shared by many, that carpets were not a good idea...you think they are, but there isn't really any need for the tone in which you have replied.

Please keep it friendly

[DD.]

Do you know why you get opinions from one mod after another?

Because they are the most active members of this forum and don't just lurk until there's a collar to feel.

[jonotaylor]

Hi, I don't think I said carpets were good or bad to be honest.  I personally would use carpets if that was the only option I could think of.  Plastic sheeting cost me nearly £100 to cover a relatively small portion of my plot (approx 1/3rd) when I used it, and Glyco is quite expensive in sizeable quantities too.  Both were effective for me in their original purpose of preventing overwhelming weed growth for a period of time.   But they are not financially viable solutions for everyone.

Cost free carpets may be the only solution for many people, despite the downsides John identified based on his personal experience (and incidentally I found his post very moderate).  I acknowledge the personal experience John gave, as I alluded to in my original post,  but am not convinced by opinion that is presented as fact (using capitals, bold, larger type-face or personal friend-friend posts), but not backed up as such.

I don't mean to be unfriendly.  I just got the impression in this post that the friends-only opinion was the only acceptable one and a couple of the replies to my response just reinforce that view in my mind.

[Ice]

I don't mean to be unfriendly. 

So why keep arguing the toss?  You've made 14 posts on this forum compared with tens of thousands by those that have answered.  Wind your head back in and get to know how the forum works and the people that post here before telling us what we are doing wrong and complaining about our ganging up on you.

[Hampshire Hog]

Just to add a member view (not moderator)
Carpets on allotments aren't a very good idea to my mind. My plot had carpets with weeds growing through when I took it over took a couple of trips to the tip to get rid of them. After a real struggle to get the weeds out of them.
I'm afraid I don't fancy the thought of the toxic chemicals that could contaminate the soil.  

Cheers HH

[NASH]

No carpets here

[jonotaylor]

No carpets here

haha.  Those look like pretty toxic pieces of black plastic and netting though.

Ice: I did not 'complain about your ganging up on me', rather that the approach of the mods posting as members earlier in this thread towards other posters, seemed heavy handed to me.  Why did I keep arguing the toss? Because I thought it was wrong and turns people who are not part of the inner circle away, or disregards their view.

I am not convinced that making 10's of thousands of posts makes anyone's opinion more valid than the next, especially to the extent where it becomes acceptable to shout opinions at the poster and then, to steal your words, gang up.

HH: I respect that you represent your opinion as just that, an opinion.  When I took over my allotment it had no carpet covering it, but was 6 feet high in brambles which took two seasons to completely clear regrowth.  I have not seen any evidence posted of carpets on allotments being more dangerous than the carpet in my living room (I am quite open to listening to evidence), and am not convinced removing carpet is a worse scenario than removing brambles.

[Yorkie]

Well perhaps you have overlooked the fact that the chemicals in your living room carpet are not leaching into the soil where you grow your food.  Perhaps you haven't seen the threads on here from different members who have had slipped discs and other injuries trying to lift carpets which have had grass growing through them.

[Aunt Sally]

I think this topic has now been fully covered.