Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Chatting => Design and Construction => Topic started by: maddave on August 09, 2014, 18:53
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After my first year of allotment ownership, combined with a full time job, new baby and general house diy jobs etc, I've found I haven't been able to keep on top of the weeds on my plot! Next year I am looking to cover the entire plot in weed membrane, make some raised beds, cover paths in bark and grow as much as I can through weed membrane to allow just a few hours a week to be spent at the allotment rather than sporadic hours clearing weeds etc!
In one part of my plot I already covered an area in membrane, but it is more like fleece and after a few months in the sun has already degraded and ripped in the wind etc. I would like any recommendations on where to buy decent weed membrane that will last and allow me to cover it with bark as well as to grow through. I am looking at the following site which looks good, but open to any suggestions from anyone in the know:
http://www.weedfabricdirect.co.uk/1m-x-100m-100gsm-ground-cover-fabric-2495.html
Is there a brand people go for, or any specifications I should look out for?
Thanks.
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used tonne builders bags are the right width for bark paths ask at your builders merchants.
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Ask at your local allotment shop, what they sell is usually good stuff at a fair price :)
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We dont have a shop very close but I'll look into it, thanks.
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As a builder/ landscaper I use it from time to time and have bought good heavy duty stuff from Travis Perkins. There's bound to be one by you. Give them a ring. Might have to buy a 50m roll but worth it. Planted my marrows and courgettes through it this year and have been so pleased with the weed suppression and also the fact that the fruit is sat on the membrane and keeps perfectly clean. Might be coincidence but best crop I've ever had.
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I'm a big fan of low maintenance allotmenting :D I like the Lidl plastic woven stuff, lasts 3 seasons so far. I buy it when it comes into shops in the early springtime. Don't waste money on the poundland fabric type stuff.
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I got myself a 25m roll on ebay. Nice, heavy duty stuff.
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I tried the pound shop stuff, and it's naff, I've invested in some good quality woven membrane off e-bay and like Surbie bought a roll - Cut to bed sizes then holes made at planting centres - so only weed out of the holes and around the edges - I will defiantly be re- using them next year and - see diary for lots of photos.
I also have invested two years in creating an infrastructure of paths and beds having hand dug and weeded both beds and paths as it's not logical to leave the paths un weeded so that they can get back into the beds.
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Surbie/Alan
Do either of you have links for the bay of evil sellers of the membrane, there are loads of sellers out there and I'd like to buy membrane that others have used and trust.
WW 8)
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If it's any help I bought some of this http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WOVEN-PORUS-WEED-MEMBRANE-2m-x-20mt-/360783197430 (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WOVEN-PORUS-WEED-MEMBRANE-2m-x-20mt-/360783197430)
Also pegs which really were invaluable. I bought the serrated ones as it was for paths if you're doing it for beds get the smooth pegs as you can pull them out when you need to.
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That's the one I bought this summer for under the corn & pumpkins and also under the winter brassicas.
It works a treat :)
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That looks like the Lidl one too- the cross hatching in the same places and colour!
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I Bought the 50m x 1.5m roll without the pegs as I use soft bricks (plastic milk bottles filled with sand)and timber / plastic to hold it down - My beds are 2.4 x 1.2m so I will get enough for 20 beds out of a roll and I have 15 beds.
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Brilliant! Thanks all for your advice. Just what I wanted.
Thanks.