Where to buy tarpaulin or equivalent

[no-h]

I recently acquired a full allotment and while there are three beds ready to be dug over the rest is pretty bad. I was very lucky and the committee strimmed it all down for me but I need to cover it with something to stop it going crazy again while I work my way over the plot. I know that tarpaulin isn't the ideal thing to use but it does seem to be the cheapest option and with nearly a full plot to cover cheap is what I'm going to have to go with. So does anyone have any advice on the best/cheapest place to get any from?

[bearded bloke]

Could you perhaps scrounge a load of cardboard boxes,flatten out & cover the ground with them

[alldigging]

Ask at the allotment. Someone might know a cheap source locally or have some spare.

Cardboard works .. But needs soaking (easy in the rain) and holding down in case the rain stops and it drys out.

Grass cuttings can help but go a bit minging in thick layers. Might not fully keep the weeds down but helps.
Straw can also be useful but ta a bit pricey £3 a bale.

I've seen bin bg used but they are nasty if cheap ones - will split and rot. And need weighing down too.

[Uber-Uncool]

Cardboard is brill. Supermarkets often have free to take cardboard boxes made available to the public. I have recently been looking for a tarp for something though and find that ebay has some quite reasonably priced tarps. Other than that places like e pound shop may have them, but not necessarilyin the size you want one piece to be. Cheap though!

[no-h]

Thanks guys!!

I'm going start by heading off to all the supermarkets and emptying them of their boxes :-). Then see what's left to cover.

Loving this forum!

[veggiechicken]

Hi no-h and Croeso from another South Walian - there are a few of us here. Why don't you pop over to Introduce Yourself! and tell us a bit about your allotment - then you'll get to meet us all!
As for cardboard, try bike shops or electricals as the larger the pieces of cardboard the easier it is to lay!

[Glutton4...]

Hello, and welcome to the Madhouse!

I'm with t'others, on the cardboard. Tarps are available cheaply on €B@y or your local DIY store but I wouldn't think they are thick/dark enough to do the job. You could just end up making a hot-house for the weeds. Good luck!

[Two_Sheds]

I've used all kinds of things as cover mulches, and ime tarp is one of the worst: even pegged down it allows slugs and snails to crawl underneath, they love it.

Cardboard or newspapers have been the best: weighed down with grass clippings or weeds

[chris]

Lidl often have stacks and stacks of boxes, they've told me they can't get rid of them fast enough

[leonmc0708]

I bought some weed control membrane off eBay when I first got mine, its not the thickest but was £21 for 100m and 2m wide so I doubled up a bit where necessary.

its not 100% however as some weeds did grow below, but they where yellow and withered so where easy to pull up.

[lottie dolly]

another outlet for large bits of cardboard is,have a look around factory units,the ones with realy large palets,as these often have it layed between things like plasic ext,to keep it clean and scratch free,look in your phone book to see whats in your area,like sign makes,or go on a hunt like my DH still does,suprising what you find that you can make good use of,but always ask first,

[Paulottie]

I invested in mypex....50p a sq metre lasted 8 years. Fraying a pain..can cut with soldering iron (and mask) or melt edge with torch.

Fantastic as it allows rain through. Grew so many crops through it when clearing mine... at first and covered spare plots so people get a running start.

[alldigging]

I invested in mypex....50p a sq metre lasted 8 years. Fraying a pain..can cut with soldering iron (and mask) or melt edge with torch.

It hadn't crossed my mind to think about the melting as an option> Someone on our site has some and it's very frayed at edges.