[paintedlady]

I disagree about the objection of black plastic.  I have had better results with black plastic sheeting than open ground.  When we took on the plot last year, I left some of the plastic sheet already there (I presumed had been there the year before or longer, it looked well worn) and then this year finally cleared it away as I expanded, dug the soil over, added compost, manure etc.  Sure I had an initial massive crop of annual weeds that had been waiting for the opportunity of sunshine and rain, BUT NO BINDWEED OR COUCH GRASS!  The soil was ok if anything the vegetable matter underneath had decomposed making it easier to dig over, and the crops I grew and harvested have been absolutely fine.

As for the rest of the plot, I am still battling this weed - I've dug it up again and again, I've used weedkiller on footpaths (its a bit difficult to use on the beds when you already have plants growing, and I'm also learning that this devious weed appears after everything else has already got going!)  

My soil is heavy clay by the way.

[muntjac]

we have enogh black plastic to cover half of scotland to take up with us lol

[WG.]

I disagree about the objection of black plastic.  

I only said I prefer cardboard for a long-term mulch.  It gives equally good results, encourages earthworms, increases humus and doesn't waterlog the surrounding area.

[richyrich7]

I disagree about the objection of black plastic.  

I only said I prefer cardboard for a long-term mulch.  It gives equally good results, encourages earthworms, increases humus and doesn't waterlog the surrounding area.

I've tried newspaper round my rhubarb and it seems to be holding up well.

[WG.]

custard is much nicer  

[David.]

I disagree about the objection of black plastic.  I have had better results with black plastic sheeting than open ground.

Me too, I find tomatoes & courgettes grow much bigger, healthier and crop better than those grown in open ground, and I don't have to spend all day weeding. Rain goes down the X cut holes they are planted through and is supplemented by watering into upside down pop bottles (bottoms cut off) on sticks pushed into the holes, and they need less water than those in open ground.

I also use cardboard (but find it tends to get infested with woodlice), newspapers and straw.

[paintedlady]

:oops: okay, I see where everyone is going with the "alternative" to black sheeting.  It werked very well for me   with none of the problems that were being pointed out, so I just wanted to defend it!

[WG.]

no need to  :oops: paintedlady - that's what a good forum is all about: "werks fer you"  

[fletch]

I had a lot of ground to cover this year and what I did was every time I went to the recycling centre I raided the cardboard skip!

I told the guys at the centre what it was for and they were fine with it, it is going to be recycled back into the ground anyway  

The beauty of it is that there is often massive whole pieces from when people have had furniture etc. delivered, so no faffing about with lots of small bits.

[noshed]

My naked beds