Weed suppressing membrane

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SnooziSuzi

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Weed suppressing membrane
« on: January 25, 2009, 20:11 »
Now, I know that the obvious answer is to get the best I can afford but in reality I don't have a budget so my question to you is this;

For weed suppressing membrane, what is the lightest, and therefore least expensive weight that I could get which would still stop the little blighters from popping their heads up in my paths?

I intend to chip some of last years privet hedge prunings which has now dried out and use this as a covering, but obviously I didn't want to just put these straight onto the ground, so wanted some membrane down first that won't split or tear as I walk on it.

does anyone have any experience of whether a lighter membrane with a covering is just as effective as a heavier one?

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AndyRVTR

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Weed suppressing membrane
« Reply #1 on: January 25, 2009, 20:27 »
Hi Suzi.. I remember doing my back garden last year.. I took off the old grass and put double sheets of thin membrane down with decorative slate on the top, thinking that this would do the trick.
It did stop the grass and clover coming through... but did nothing for dandelions, they are * at the best of times  :D , so I ended up using roundup on the half dozen or so that reared their ugly heads.
It might be worth thinking about putting some cardboard down first and then membrane and then your final covering. I'm sure others will be along soon to offer other ideas  :D  :D

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woodburner

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Weed suppressing membrane
« Reply #2 on: January 25, 2009, 21:29 »
Wilko's is pretty decent with regards walking on but on it's own is too thin to stop weeds growing underbneath it.
If you want to go really cheap try your local builders merchants for cardboard. ;) It may need renewing a couple of times before it's job is completely done, if used alone, (not suitable for use with wood chippings) and can be slippery when really wet, but it's free and biodegradable. :)
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richyrich7

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Weed suppressing membrane
« Reply #3 on: January 25, 2009, 21:30 »
Good idea Andy, I was thinking that myself, you must have tough dandelions near you  :shock:  mine never come through not even thistles, yes they raise the membrane but then you stamp on the lump  :twisted:
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waddecar

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Weed suppressing membrane
« Reply #4 on: January 25, 2009, 21:52 »
Suzi, I use this no weeds come through it and it has been down for about 4 or 5 seasons now with no sign of wear.

I too cover it with chippings trouble is that they rot down quickly and then weed seeds germinate so you still have to weed it!

Big downside is that when cut with a blade the ends unravel, if possible cut with a hot soldering iron to seal the weave

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pushrod

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Weed suppressing membrane
« Reply #5 on: January 25, 2009, 21:55 »
what's the ground to be used for afterwards?  Mice and birds like the soft stuff as nesting material and even the thick stuff lets brambles and other nasties thru in the 2nd or 3rd year (unless richy is there ready and waiting to jump on it  :wink: ) I was trying different things under slate and eventually found that my empty plastic bags of poultry pellets was the best thing and the cheapest  :lol:
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SnooziSuzi

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Weed suppressing membrane
« Reply #6 on: January 25, 2009, 21:58 »
they're permanant paths but I only have a limited number of flagstones at my disposal so I want a tidy way of keeping the weeds down so I can spend more time growing veg and less time weeding!

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SnooziSuzi

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Weed suppressing membrane
« Reply #7 on: January 25, 2009, 22:05 »
Quote from: "waddecar"
Suzi, I use this no weeds come through it and it has been down for about 4 or 5 seasons now with no sign of wear.

I too cover it with chippings trouble is that they rot down quickly and then weed seeds germinate so you still have to weed it!

Big downside is that when cut with a blade the ends unravel, if possible cut with a hot soldering iron to seal the weave


sealing it with a soldering iron won't be a problem (thanks for the tip).

Have googled based on your replies and have found a trade supplier who can sell 100m for £27!!!  now, where's me debit card gone?  :twisted:

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Trillium

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Weed suppressing membrane
« Reply #8 on: January 25, 2009, 22:10 »
I use something similar to Waddecar's, a heavy duty membrane which garden centres and greenhouses use. You can see some against the greenhouse in the Gardeners' World Cranberry video. After considerable search, I found a retail greenhouse which sells it by the lineal foot (comes 8' wide) so I can buy what I need and it's not so terribly expensive either. Nothing pops through this stuff provided I don't tear it. I pin it down with proper membrane staples (squared C shape wire) and top it with pea gravel to protect it. I'm replacing the softer membrane on my compost area path which I'd topped with slabs and which sprouted bumper crops of dandelions. It'll be a lot of work but worth it to cut down the weeding. Again, I'll edge it with plastic edging and fill in spaces with some pea gravel to prevent any tearing.

As for cost, I pay 15c/sq ft here, and will save up and buy about 15 lineal feet at a time over the summer which spreads out my cost and coincides with my garden work schedule.

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outmowed

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Weed suppressing membrane
« Reply #9 on: January 26, 2009, 17:00 »
As the chippings break down, soil will form and weeds will grow on top of the membrain eventually. you just cant win.

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penance

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Weed suppressing membrane
« Reply #10 on: January 26, 2009, 17:07 »
Quote from: "outmowed"
As the chippings break down, soil will form and weeds will grow on top of the membrain eventually. you just cant win.


Thats what I found. I am now planning on membrane with gravel.

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Trillium

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Weed suppressing membrane
« Reply #11 on: January 26, 2009, 17:53 »
Which is why I stick to gravel; even weeds can't survive.

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rainbow1

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Re: Weed suppressing membrane
« Reply #12 on: February 02, 2009, 13:28 »

Have googled based on your replies and have found a trade supplier who can sell 100m for £27!!!  now, where's me debit card gone?

May I ask where that came from? Sounds too good to miss?
Thanks

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Frecks

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Re: Weed suppressing membrane
« Reply #13 on: February 02, 2009, 14:05 »
Which is why I stick to gravel; even weeds can't survive.
That has not been my experience.  I've found that weed seedlings germinate in gravel very well.

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Trillium

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Re: Weed suppressing membrane
« Reply #14 on: February 02, 2009, 23:59 »
A few weed seeds will germinate but they won't last long with no nutrients and unable to burrow through the heavy membrane into the soil. If they can, then you're not using a strong enough membrane. I cannot buy the heavy stuff from garden centres, I had to go to a specialty place for it. Believe me, it's worth the effort.



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