[kitch]

Have just dug a patch over for spuds next year and covered it with black membrane to keep the weeds down, the wife says it will damage my soil and make it sterile.
Do I listen to her or not.
Been down the allotment and picked runner beans, courgette and dug up parsnip, turnip and tattys got soaked but will enjoy my dinner
DAM WEATHER

[Lardman]

... the wife says ... Do I listen to her or not.

You have to ask   

It wont make it sterile just by covering it for a couple of months, the membrane will also allow air and water to the soil so it's really just shutting the light out, not something to worry about.

But don't tell I said she was wrong will you 

[kitch]

cheers I will tell her after she has cooked the dinner

[mumofstig]

Black plastic is not a good idea - no air or water can get through.

Black weed suppressant membrane allows both through  No problem......

[mobilekat]

You could bung in some green manure now- red clover would grow quickly and add more humus to the soil

Plus being nice for nature!

[3759allen]

i would tend to go with a mulch if you can get some. so it keeps weeds down, lets water in, adds organic to the soil and gives the worms something to feed on while working the soil for you.

or if you don't have mulch then cardboard would prob be better than a plastic sheet. obviously you have to weight it down so you would need for find something to do that. gumtree or freecycle usually has old boxes and some sort of old timber to use.

[kitch]

Thanks for all the suggestions, have been using black plastic in my polytunnel to cover the soil so gonna stop that practise straight away.

[beesrus]

Plastic really is good if you want some help in dying back long term heavily weeded areas before digging or, as Lardy says, for a few months. It has it's place but soil needs to live as best it can.
Apart from green manures, mulching is where it's at for me, as that also feeds nutrients into the soil if done properly. Manure is my favourite but one can't always get the trustworthy amounts you need for an affordable price.

I used to have a lot of bonfires with all my plant/weed waste, but tend to use it as mulch these days. For instance, this time of year, as they finish, my rather large sweet corn, artichoke and sunflower stalks and leaves get draped over the areas needing protecting, followed by the smaller drying weeds on top. Lets the air and water in, but not the light. Most rots down over Winter. The larger woody remnants then go to the compost tip for a bit of heat to finish them off..

I would love an affordable shredder, but there's only so much money I can OK in my mind, so the above method has worked well for the last couple of years. Does anyone have experience of an affordable shredder that can deal with artichoke/giant sunflower stalks etc ?

[Steveharford]

Not necessarily a recommendation but I've got a shredder port on my mower which I've never used. You've given me an idea. Many thanks.