Raised bed advice please

[Becka]

I've built my raised beds and I'm just about to position them in the garden. I have a problem with very rampant ground elder and I was wondering if it would be possible to put weed supressant fabric under the beds? I'm not growing any deep rooted vegetables - at least I don't think I am! My potatoes are being grown in containers. Would this affect the rooting and stability of the veg such as the broccoli that I'm going to grow?
Thanks,
Becka

[smallblueplanet]

I'm sure someone who's tried it will reply, but couldn't you plant through the weed-supressing membrane, not on top of it?

[WiZeR]

i'd agree with SBM, lay the membrane on top of the soil and make hole to plant through. You could lay bark on top of the membrane to stop it moving around.

[andrewo]

Depends on the depth of your bed, if you have ground elder, I would put it at the bottom of the bed. My fear is if you put it on top it will find a way through and establish a root system. When I did my raised bed, I covered the entire garden in membrane, placed the beds on it and have never looked back.

[Nicos]

I'd do the same as andrewo as ground elder is so rampant, and you don't want anything to compete with your plants for space or nutrients.Good idea...wish I had thought of it before I did my raised beds!!

[sewer rat]

I'm with Andrewo and Nicos on this one - lay the membrane over your ground elder then place your bed on top of this - again, what height is your raised bed, as even though you say you're nor growing any deep rooted veggies this year, you might do over the next couple of seasons and then the membrane could pose a problem.