Mulch Films / Sheet - biodegradable or plastic

[Vinny1964]

I'm considering using a biodegradable mulch sheet to suppress weeds / warm up the soil on my new allotment. I have divided up my plot with edging boards to form manageable beds, not so much raised beds, I have dug and turned over the ground rather than filling the beds with compost.

I have already planted some onions, garlic, broad beans in two of the beds to get me started, the others I plan to turn in manure and cover with black plastic sheeting until the spring when I can plant more crops.

Several allotment holders have covered their beds with plastic mulching film with their plant pultruding through slits or holes in the sheet. Having researched on Google I found a number of suppliers of biodegradable films as well as the usual polythene sheet, I have a few questions hopefully someone can answer...

The biodegradable films appear to suggest they are permeable so presumably rain would pass through to water the plant, how do you water beds with polythene, are the slits / holes large enough for sufficient water to pass through?

Are there specific plants using mulch film works (onions/carrots/garlic) ? And plants it's not suitable (potato/leeks/cabbage) it isn't suited?

Can you recommend any suppliers of either biodegradable or standard mulch films??

Thanks for your help.

[veggiechicken]

Why don't you use cardboard instead?

[Vinny1964]

Why don't you use cardboard instead?

Hi, I have read somewhere cardboard contains a lot of chemicals or coatings that are potentially harmful or at least undesirable that will get into the soil.

[seasprout]

I've been told biodegradable plastic is so thin that weeds continue to grow even when covered over.

[Alison]

Hi, I have read somewhere cardboard contains a lot of chemicals or coatings that are potentially harmful or at least undesirable that will get into the soil.

The shiny stuff is a bit iffy but good old fashioned brown card is great.

[KevinM67]

Hi, I have read somewhere cardboard contains a lot of chemicals or coatings that are potentially harmful or at least undesirable that will get into the soil.

A lot of the old fogies on here () swear by it and seem to have survived the years - so it's good enough for a young thing like me.

[veggiechicken]

A lot of the old fogies on here swear

not just about cardboard either
Now where did I put that bladdy cardboard

[KevinM67]

not just about cardboard either
Now where did I put that bladdy cardboard

Ah, VC - I consider you as one of the the site's young uns.

Bearded Boob however, must be in his 80s the way he goes on.

[muddled]

Cardboard feeds the slugs. They eat great crescents out of the layers.
Personally I reckon that if slugs are about,
a) I'd rather they ate the cardboard than my plants
b) cardboard is easier to turn over so that birds can snack on the slimies
c) Using cardboard means you are recycling. Wombling is always a good thing!

I don't have any experience of permeable plastic sheets....never seen anyone else use it either. I suspect that if it were really good and/or reasonably priced, we'd see it more often.

As ever, this is just my totally unscientific opinion.

[Mark Lottie]

Hi, I have read somewhere cardboard contains a lot of chemicals or coatings that are potentially harmful or at least undesirable that will get into the soil.

I sometimes use cardboard but try to avoid it where possible unless I know the boxes are fresh - i.e. someone bought a load of flat packed boxes for moving house.

The reason is that if you use a box that's sat in a warehouse for any amount of time, it's possible that it's been sprayed or been near an area sprayed with anti-rodent poison, which then goes into your soil.

[KevinM67]

I sometimes use cardboard but try to avoid it where possible unless I know the boxes are fresh - i.e. someone bought a load of flat packed boxes for moving house.

The reason is that if you use a box that's sat in a warehouse for any amount of time, it's possible that it's been sprayed or been near an area sprayed with anti-rodent poison, which then goes into your soil.

Really ???

Would that not cause massive problems for the stock handlers in the warehouse if that was the case ?

[Alison]

Really ???

Would that not cause massive problems for the stock handlers in the warehouse if that was the case ?

I'd have thought if there were enough of it sprayed on the card to make it a concern then the box would have fallen apart

[Aberdeenplotter]

The Health and Safety wallas wouldn't allow willy nilly spraying with any kind of poison.

[janzbro]

or any kind of anything, slipping hazard!!!!!!