Removal of plastic

[jackyspratty]

Hi guys
Ive just stared to loook properly at the final bed on my plot. After removing a fair bit of couch grass root which I covered which cardboard and mulch last year, Ive discovered a previous owner has covered the bed with blue plastic sheeting.

The blue plastic has gone brittle, and breaks into small pieces when you try to remove it. It has been there some time by the look of it and is under soil.

Whats the best way to attempt to remove it!!! If any!!

[vicky]

Sounds like a horrible long job sifting through it by hand I'm afraid. Or if you can employ children they might be good at it?!

[zazen999]

We had a fair bit of that halfway up our plot; to be honest we just picked it out as we planted stuff. The council had rotavated so it was in lots of nice brittle pieces.

[jackie j]

Just pick it out as you come across it, no easy way as its in small pieces.

[Two_Sheds]

I've been picking bits of plastic out today too - the previous owner had shoved a load of household waste into the compost heap - I'm picking out plastic, string and broken glass, nice

[Snadger]

The very fact that its started to break down partly through sunlight means that it must be bio degradeable to a point. I would do as Zaz says and just remove what you can as you plant the area, and don't worry too much about it.
A spring tined grass rake will probably get rid of most of it.

[Two_Sheds]

The very fact that its started to break down partly through sunlight means that it must be bio degradeable to a point.

The bio plastics don't disappear, they just break down into ever-smaller pieces. This could be quite disastrous for wildlife: already in the seas plastic is being accidentally consumed by turtles & birds, filling up their guts and killing them

[motherhen]

I agree with Two Sheds, have you ever seen the programme on Albertross chicks they are dying because their stomachs are full of plastic

[Snadger]

I'm not advocating using shredded plastic as a mulch................what I am saying is that if you are stuck with it in its moleculular form, its not the end of the world!
My allotment is full of the stuff from a previous allotment holder, but I still manage to grow wholesome veg!

[jackyspratty]

Oh bugger! Was hoping one of you had a magic wand you could send me!!! Hands and knees it is then!!!

Any newbies reading this......never everever put this damn stuff o your plot!!!