[Gleavo]

My local council has introduced an allotment carpet ban. Literally.

A zero-tolerance approach to any use of carpets on the allotments for compost bins/weed suppression etc (dunno if this extends to a bit of luxury floor covering in one's shed!)

There is a carpet amnesty taking place soon with skips provided for people to dispose of them.

Not used (and probably wouldn't use) carpets anyway but have heard many a nightmare tale of people trying to dig up/cultivate pats of a plot with a half rotted carpet in the ground - sounds like a right pain!

Any thoughts on this?

[Fisherman]

Have the council banned them because they look untidy or because they may contain toxic chemicals?

Formaldehyde, toluene, xylene, styrene, benzene, 4-phenylcyclohexene and methyl-benzene—known as ‘volatile organic compounds’ (VOCs)—are just a few that might be present in the carpets that may gas off or leach into the ground!

[Aidy]

We have had a ban on synthetic carpet for years, only 100% wool are allowed, I dont know of any person that even brings on organic carpet, most prefer to use the commercial weed suppressant.
In my mind its a great idea to ban the stuff.

[Kleftiwallah]

There seems to be some 'Committee Members' and 'Those in Authority' who have invented a little game between themselves thinking up the impractical and unjustifiable rules and regulations that have been passed . 

I can see them chortling to themselves at meetings after they have brought one more ridiculous rule down upon our backs.     Cheers,    Tony.

[savbo]

OK here's my 2penorth
having been around a lot of allotment sites over the years I think it's clear that as well as the many responsible and considerate plotholders there are a minority of people who let the natural thrifty instincts (we all share) go to extremes and bring lots of 'useful' stuff onto plots that sit around unused and end up being a nuisance for future plotholders... bans on glass and carpets ARE a pain but if we can't get people to use these resources responsibly then I'd support the bans...

M

[Nobbie]

A very good idea. I've seen lots of allotments where new people have arrived to a neglected plot, thrown some old carpet down and then given the plot up a year later leaving the next tennant to sort out a rotting mess of carpet, grass, rats nests etc.

[JohnB47]

I distinctly heard Bob Flowerdew recommend using old carpet on last Fridays Gardeners Question Time radio program. I missed some of it (while driving) but it wasn't just to stop weeds. Something to do with leaving it in place and letting grass etc grow up through it. Perhaps he meant more for flower/shrub growing, rather than veggies.

Still, it seemed odd for Bob to recommend it, bearing in mind all the hullabaloo about chemicals.

[PennyS]

Sounds sensible to me -  I might sound a bit paranoid but I would be dubious about using even wool carpet - has probably had all sorts of stain-preventing chemicals etc on it.  Unless i could be sure it was untreated I wouldn't want to use it.

[Trikidiki]

Are these the same carpets that people have all over their floors at home, let their babies crawl around on etc.

...........................Formaldehyde, toluene, xylene, styrene, benzene, 4-phenylcyclohexene and methyl-benzene—known as ‘volatile organic compounds’ (VOCs)—are just a few that might be present in the carpets that may gas off or leach into the ground!

Having quoted a great list of compounds that might be present in the carpets, how many of these would you suspect are present in horticultural fleece, weed suppressant fabric and plastic sheeting which we're happy to recommend on a regular basis.

Won't be long before the paranoid rule makers will ban all of these as well.

[mumofstig]

Yes, but (hopefully) they are not disintegrating on the average lounge floor

[Trikidiki]

So these products don't break down at all until we don't need them for their original use any more then they become 'dangerous'?

If you lift a well used foam backed carpet the foam will already be disintegrating due to the plasticisers etc that have already come out of the foam.

I'm prepared to keep an open mind but (as I've said in another thread on this subject) where is the research which backs up these claims.

The mechanical problem of removing carpets which have couch or whatever growing through them, I agree is an issue.

[mumofstig]

Let's face it, realistically, no one is going to do research on rotting carpets on an allotment ...... so I guess we'll never know! 

So people either fancy using one or they don't.

We seem to agree that they are a nuisance to remove once the weeds start growing through, so that validates the council's objection 

[Nobbie]

I distinctly heard Bob Flowerdew recommend using old carpet on last Fridays Gardeners Question Time radio program. I missed some of it (while driving) but it wasn't just to stop weeds. Something to do with leaving it in place and letting grass etc grow up through it. Perhaps he meant more for flower/shrub growing, rather than veggies.

Still, it seemed odd for Bob to recommend it, bearing in mind all the hullabaloo about chemicals.

Bob was responding to a question about hiding the edge of a pond liner and suggested carpet as it would go green and stuff would grow on it.

[Ca55ie]

I personally wouldn't use carpet because of the chemicals that it may contain...and having struggled to dig some out of an abandoned plot it is a nightmare to deal with if it's been left.

I would be interested to know why BF still thinks it's suitable? Garden Organic now to advise against it: http://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/todo_now/faqs.php?id=111

[ex-cavator]

I can completely understand the move to ban carpets on allotments. No matter how bad a condition a carpet becomes in the home, it is not going to be rotting like it does once in or on the ground in all weathers, and breaking down to release all kind of toxic / organic chemicals into the soil, many for which there will be no eco-toxicity data available as yet. Not to mention the remaining synthetic fibres that may take decades or longer to break down, just lurking there ready to foul up machinery & equipment, or ultimately end up in the gut of feeding birds or mammals and cause them slow painful deaths.

I have recent experience of the problems caused by carpets used as a membrane on an allotment, too rotten to pull up in any sizeable piece, making digging doubly difficult, and causing havoc with my rotavator