Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: Tkpk on February 08, 2020, 14:02

Title: Hessian/jute ground cover
Post by: Tkpk on February 08, 2020, 14:02
I was thinking recently of setting up some raised beds. I have taken the no dig approach before, and I still actually really struggled with very hardy weeds.

So I was thinking, if hessian /jute does eventually rot down (apparently 2-3 years. Would that be a better long term base for a raised bed. I don’t want to put the black weed fabric down as it doesn’t break down.

Has anyone tried this? I figure with the hessian then card then the usual no dig approach it might work slightly better?

Title: Re: Hessian/jute ground cover
Post by: Ema on February 09, 2020, 13:15
I have used cardboard, bike boxes worked best as there slightly thicker.

I’m going to be using hessian as a soil stabiliser on a bank I’m just about to plant up with a hedge, as I don’t want to loose any height from erosion. I hate plastic membranes particularly the woven kind where you find bits of it all over the garden.
Title: Re: Hessian/jute ground cover
Post by: Yorkie on February 09, 2020, 13:40
Can I just check, what is your thinking behind wanting a base in your raised bed?
Title: Re: Hessian/jute ground cover
Post by: Tkpk on February 09, 2020, 16:15
I have got quite serious perennial weeds! Couch grass. Dock, and creeping buttercup. I am losing trying to dig them out. So I was thinking if they can’t see light for 2-3 years I might win?
Last time I used card only, they just found their way through
Title: Re: Hessian/jute ground cover
Post by: Mr Rotavator on February 09, 2020, 22:26
If you have grass around the raised beds it will eventually find its way through. Also hessian sack are full of holes which couch will find its way through.
Title: Re: Hessian/jute ground cover
Post by: Wellington on February 10, 2020, 00:16
I reckon it will grow through, and you’ll never get it out once they grow through it!  Something like old woollen blankets might work. They’d be more closely woven and not let weeds through and would break down eventually. I wish I could they were easy to find, but sadly they are not. Sheep fleece (which is worthless and generally easily available) might work though.  It would be harder to handle, and you will find bits of it around the place. I’ve used it as a mulch quite successfully in smaller quantities (I’m sure I’ve seen a commercially available wool mat designed for this. I recall the words ‘not cheap’ being used in conjunction, though.

I have a love-relationship with landscape fabric. It is so beautifully weed-suppressing and saves me SO much work. But it’s plastic. If you are really struggling with weeds, I’d be tempted to go with cardboard (two layers, perhaps) and then as much compost as you can manage and then plant through the landscape fabric on top of that. If you make planting holes in it with a blow torch and use it to heat the cut edges you don’t get bits everywhere, as it seals them and stops it fraying. Don’t mulch on top, and you can take it off at the end of the season, and hopefully not need it next year. I’m aiming to get to a point where I don’t need to buy more of it, but planning to use what I have until it falls apart.
Title: Re: Hessian/jute ground cover
Post by: Yorkie on February 13, 2020, 19:26
I used decent quality plastic weed membrane to cover couch grass.  For a year or so it grew out from the edges of the fabric, but was easy enough to control. 

I would avoid hessian, jute, wool, blanket, carpet etc.  The grass will simply grow through it.