plastic weed barrier

[nemo]

hello
I have just finished filling my raised beds with soil in our new poly tunnel . i am thinking of buying black plastic, to cover the soil in the raised beds with plastic to stop weeds growing.would it be a good job to just plant things through the plastic,only cutting the plastic to plants the plants.would this work or would the soil be effected from being covered.i will be planting sweetcorn tomatoes ,peppers melons etc.
would paper mulch from fruit hill farms Fruit Hill Farm-The mailorder company for the environment friendly household, farm and garden be better ,it is very expensive compared to plastic
what is your opinion
regards
nemo

[Storming Norman]

How will you water easily if there is no visible soil - won't it run off black plastic?

If you want to buy something then a permeable weed membrane might be better, but is designed to last around 5 years which might not be what you want.

Others here might suggest thick newspaper layers or cardboard.

[bridget mc laughlin]

I would rather have the bare soil and just put fruits like your melons on a square of plastic

[Shadylane]

I wouldn't pay for paper mulch, you could just make your own by collecting newspaper or shredding paper waste. What about laying down newspaper then putting straw on top. I do that for paths. It will eventually rot down but round here I can get a bale (direct from a local farm)for a quid and you get quite a lot.

[binley100]

I've got my unused beds cover with a weed suppressant fabric at the moment but when they're planted up I use a mulch inbetween the plants. Round the raspberries I put down newspapers and then use something like grass clippings on top,or straw.Make sure the ground is well watered before you cover it.

[Two_Sheds]

I have just finished filling my raised beds with soil in our new poly tunnel

You aren't going to get that many weeds inside a polytunnel anyway? It's not open to windblown weed seeds like the open ground is.

You might have weed seeds in the soil you've brought in, but not too many.

I'd wait and see how bad the 'problem' is before you spend any money.

[nemo]

thanks for your replys I wont be using plastic as I never though of watering problems .I will try layers of newspaper and see how I get on
thanks again
nemo

[jayjay giant]

Nip down your local stables and get a couple of sack fulls of horse manure mixed with straw and spread this on top of the beds. It will keep weeds at bay, enrich the soil when its dug in and warm the beds as it rots down.
I am doing an experiment along these lines, starting in the new year.

[Burnzie]

Hi, if you decide to go the plastic route give black & white poly a try.

White side up reflects light back up to plants.


regards

Burnzie