[Cynara]

Having just double dug one of my deep beds I'm hoping to keep it weed free until I'm ready to sow salads and spinach in the spring. Anyway I've covered the area with black landscape membrane weighted down with bricks. Has anyone any idea if the membrane alone without any mulch is enough to do the job, it still seems to let some light through :?

[shaun]

hi cynara,I would leave it off over winter and let nature do its stuff,but in spring when the weeds start to grow you can put it on the soil and plant certain crops through it,you cut a small cross in it and plant through it,onions and brassicas do well i grew my pumkins this way this year, throw some slug pellets under it  

[GrannieAnnie]

And as to letting light through, it depends on whether you have the cheapo stuff from places like Wilko, which defo does let light and weeds through, as I bought some one day, or the proper terram, which we luckily got when we bought our 2nd hand polytunnel, which is the stuff used by professionals and lets nothing through!!!!

But Shaun is right, give your ground the winter to do its own thing, then cover over in spring.  I did that last year with my brassicas, and it was lovely not to have to keep weeding, but there were a few more slugs around as they love it underneath the terram!!!!

[shaun]

goot point there grannie the cheap stuff is not worth looking at its just to thin,
this wwere my pumpkins in the summer

[GrannieAnnie]

Nice ones you got there Shauny baby!!!!!

And that weed membrane is like mine, the one with the thin greeny/blue lines through it.  Good stuff that!!

[shaun]

thanks grannie and those lines help to keep your rows straight  

[WG.]

The Teram stuff is deffo the business but I mainly use the lightweight stuff 'cos it is a LOT cheaper.  It gives an almost total kill on its own but with grass cuttings on top (or foliage of stuff growing through) then the kill is total.

You could also put cardboard underneath it.

[Cynara]

Thanks everyone.   :idea: I think i'm gonna do a bit of a controlled experiment since I've got several areas to dig over. Try the cardboard and grass cuttings ideas as well as leaving one uncovered. Don't know if this is the thin stuff, it was certainly cheap... from a closing down sale at Focus!

[shaun]

have all the focus stores shut down or are they closing down ? i drove past one on monday and seen everything half price or somthing like that.

[GrannieAnnie]

Oh yes, I did try some brassicas through cardboard as well last year, weighed it down with bricks.  Thanks for the reminder WG.!  That worked as well, then the cardboard rotted into the ground over the winter!

I know the proper stuff is expensive, but it was only because it was in the polytunnel, and Brian said to the lady can we have that as well and she said yes, take it!!!!!!  

Shaun, I'm not aware of any Focus stores closing.  But in Spalding, we are waiting for that one to close maybe, asthey have just opened a big new Homebase round the corner from it!!!!!

[milkman]

Has anyone any idea if the membrane alone without any mulch is enough to do the job, it still seems to let some light through :?

it should be.  my advice would be to leave the membrane on through the winter, and if you can find some compost to spread on the bed underneath the membrane, do so - the worms will love it.

when it comes to spring the soil will be weed free, warm and ready to go.

[loubylou29]

I have used cardboard under the membrane. it works well, stops any stones making it sharp under knee!!! and as WG will tell you, the worms love it!!

[Lynne]

have all the focus stores shut down or are they closing down ? i drove past one on monday and seen everything half price or somthing like that.

I think they are Shaun. I have noticed 2 around these parts with closing down sales going on.

I get that nice stripey membrane from a farmers supply shop, its about half the price of that I've seen antwhere else.

[brucesgirl]

Yes our Focus shut down last year, it is a Wickes superstore now.

[love-my-plot]

can I ask where you get that membrane,please, shaun? I can only find thin stuff locally and it's a waste of time.