Black Polythene?

[Crazysprout]

Good evening fellow allotmenteers, Please could some one point me in the direction of cheap black polythene to cover my allotment with??? the one I have looked at on ebay seem very expensive? thanks for your help. :-)

[rustylady]

Don't even go there. Cheap black polythene will rip and tear and end up all over the place. Why do you want to cover your allotment anyway?

[Crazysprout]

hi, just taken it on and wanted to weaken the weeds in the areas that im not digging at the mo. its a full allotment and to much to do at once it just seemed very expensive, but it could just be me being tight! lol. :-)

[veggiechicken]

Scrounge some cardboard from bike shops, DIY stores, wherever you can find large boxes. Cover your ground with cardboard - its free and rots down. That's being tight

[rustylady]

Find your nearest Halfords and ask them for the boxes the bicycles come in. Flatten them out and put over your plot. Weigh them down if necessary with soil, bricks etc.

Works just as well, if not better than, plastic. Also is biodegradable.

[rustylady]

Snap VC

[veggiechicken]

Great minds Rusty

[Alison]

I'd go the cardboard root too, it does break down over time but also lets the water get to the soil and doesn't provide the same hotel for slugs that polythene tends to do. When I first got my lottie I covered a lot of it with tarps but didn't have enough and used cardboard on other areas. That was in the autumn and when I started to uncover it in the spring I found that the sections under the card were much easier to dig and clear than the tarp sections. Also, one section I just cut the card and planted potatoes through it, these worked really well and impressed me a lot.

[Crazysprout]

cheers guys, I new there would be someone out there with a plan!!! :-)

[Tripmeup]

cheers guys, I new there would be someone out there with a plan!!! :-)

I love it when a plan comes together

[Allotment Ted]

Polythene or Weed control Fabric

You can use weed control fabric as well. Depends if you want water to get through. Black plastic keeps out all water, weed control fabric is woven and will let water and air through. I use weed fabric and find it is good with holes cut in to plant through, keeps roots moist in the summer, warms the ground in spring, great stuff.
Cut holes with hot tin can to stop edges fraying.

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