[maddave]

Hello, what is the best way to make holes in weed membrane to plant through?  Mainly for small plants.  I've been using a knife but it just leave the holes looking messy and with lots of unraveled bits of membrane on the edges. 

Thanks.

[Kevin67]

I like to make a X with a sharp razor blade.

That way, I can put the X flaps back if I decide later not to use the hole, or if I re-use the membrane in another location.

[mumofstig]

Blow torching the edges stops them fraying.

[Kristen]

I cut a PLUS (along the grain in both directions) with a pair of scissors.  Depends a bit on the quality? of the membrane, but I find that some [particularly the cheaper ones] fray a lot more than others.

My thinking is that with a PLUS I can fold the flaps back and cover up the soil a bit more, whereas if I use something hot and make a circular hole it will let light in. But if mine fray I'll wish I had used a hot object to melt the membrane instead!

[Kevin67]

That's given me a thought to use an old 4" scraper, heat it and then put the hot edge to the membrane. I'll give that a go sometime!

[Baldy]

From all the knowledge I've collected in the last month its seems that a cross is the best 'cut' to use as it will tend to fall back to suppress weed whist a round hole will allow weeds around your plant. As for the cut itself - most suggest using some sort of heat to reduce fraying - I've got a butane powered blowtorch heading my way from China at a cost of about £3.50 for this very purpose.
I'm not a weeding aficionado...

Pip pip,
Balders

[Kristen]

its seems that a cross is the best 'cut' to use as it will tend to fall back to suppress weed

Pedantic point, but I interpret a "cross" as diagonally across the grain (doesn't have to be of course, I expect you are intending "with" the grain), but in that case there are a lot of cut ends to fray - whereas cut with & across the grain there are few ends to fray, and fibres parallel to the cut that will hold the cut ends in place.  "ish"

[Kenilworth]

the quickest and cleanest way I find to create the holes is with a heat gun. Something similar to this, http://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/heat-guns/7781879/
 I borrow one from work but a basic model is relatively cheap. A hair dryer may even work though I haven't tried that yet.