Black Plastic Sheeting - Ebay

[Helen_uk]

Hello,

Ive had a notice from the council about an overgrown part of my plot. I'm going to go down and just pull all the weeds up (what do i do with them after?!) and I was then thinking as I wont have time to work this section before the frosts start I would cover it for winter.

Now ive seen some black plastic sheeting on ebay - this is the description:

Black polythene plastic sheet 10m x 4m
Ideal for the home, garden, allotment or workplace
Cut to size - 10 metres long  x 4 metres wide
Description - This heavyweight black polythene sheet is ideal for many tasks such as building work, weed suppression under gravel, plants, paving or new turf
also ideal as a waterproof outdoor covering, for temporary roof or window repairs
and many other tasks in the home, garden or workplace

Thickness - 125 Micron (mu) / 500 Gauge
Condition - New
Environmentally friendly - Made from recycled plastic materials


Its £22.99 do you think this will be think enough at 125micron?

I did think I'd go the really cheap route and go and ask Tesco for brown packing boxes but Im concerned that Ill then get a letter stating that it looks un-sightly?!!

Any advice greatly received!

[Elcie]

Not sure about the black plastic sheeting as I haven't used it.  I got a big blue sheet from B&Q but it might still let some light through so I won't recommend it, although it is very cheap!

One question though, will the council accept you putting black plastic on as you cultivating the overgrown part?  I'm sure they will but perhaps others on here could give you advice just to confirm it.  Wouldn't want you to go to all that trouble to be told it wasn't enough.

[zazen999]

Forget the sheeting - all you'll do is give the slugs a nice warm breeding ground for the winter.

Slice the weeds down with a hoe, and chop the bigger ones and chuck in a big pile - you can burn them in a week or two.

Cover the area in cardboard, and use stones and soil from another part of the plot to weigh it down. Then, grab some brassica/leek seedings and using a bulb planter, plant these through the card for the winter. Do the same with some garlic cloves [get some cheap from a greengrocers], and these should start producing leaves in weeks. Ditto onion sets. Plant this lot out at quite wide spacings to give the impression that you have planted up a bigger area.

Water the cardboard an hour before you plant up to give it time to soak in and it is easier to cut through then.

You could do that all for £5 and it will show them cultivated plot. In the spring, the weeds underneath will have died back and you can dig them out once the soil is softer with the spring rains.

[Salmo]

You do not have to stop digging when the frosts start. As long as the soil is not too wet you can dig all through the Winter. Nothing better than a good workout with a nip in the air.

Cut all the weeds down, either with a strimmer or slice the top off with a spade. Put them in a heap to be dealt with later. Then start digging your way through it. You could hire a rotovator.

Unless you put sheeting/cardboard on for about a year many weeds will still survive.

[plum crumble]

Helen, you've been given some good advice there - black plastic sheeting =slug city!! I have black membrane down on a third of my lottie, and I rotate each year which third is covered - expensive to start with, but has a long life. It allows air and water through, but still supresses the weeds, without encouraging slugs too much. Zazen and Salmo have given you some good tips if you don't want to buy membrane. I do think the key is to do a little, often, so it doesn't seem daunting.
Good luck!

[NASH]

I noticed on ebay some landscape fabric which is permable and HD woven type, size 11m x 4m and about twelve quid plus postage, if it's still up the seller is based in Wolverhampton.

I use plastic and landscape fabric on my plot and have found both very useful.

[Helen_uk]

THANK YOU!! 

I really love the weeding then covering with card and making wholes and planting idea, Ive got some cabbage and kale seedlings at home that I havent planted out yet so Ill put them out.

I've managed to get hold of a petrol strimmer too, so Ill be out there next saturday strimming and clearing to my hearts content!

I'll 'collect' boxes from the supermarkets during this week a few a day and then I'll be all set for the weekend.

Thank you, i feel less dis-heartened now - I would never have come up with the ideas you guys did!!