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Weed barrier
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Posted by laurastheme (My Page) on Sat, Feb 21, 09 at 19:03
| This afternoon I sprayed an area of the yard with vinegar/salt to kill the weeds. Then I laid down landscape fabric. Eventually I plan to plant a few perennials in that area and cover with lava rock. I ran out of landscape fabric when I was nearly finished. I happened to remember an old shag throw rug that we had lying around so I put it down in that spot. I did a search here a found a thread where someone had used carpet remnants for weed barrier and I'm wondering if others have used it and if there were any cons as well as pros for using carpet. We used cardboard under rocks for our dry river bed, but I was afraid the the lava rock might not set well on the semi-slick cardboard. Either cardboard or carpet would be a lot easier to lay than landscape cloth. What are your thoughts? |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Weed barrier
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| I use newspaper covered with leaf mold/mulch to kill the weeds in the fall. In spring, I just poke a hole and plant my perennials. Has worked for years. Carpet also works, but is thick to plant through and may suffocate the plants. I use it in pathways. Florrie |
RE: Weed barrier
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| Thanks, florrie. I know people who have used newspaper and have been happy with it. I've just been trying to think of something that wouldn't involve constant bending over and getting up again to install it. I'm 73 and getting stiff and sore. What about cardboard? I was thinking about breezes blowing the newspapers before I could get them secured. When I was laying the landscape fabric yesterday, I constantly had to reposition and secure the corners with rocks to keep it temporarily in place. Maybe the answer with that type of barrier or newspaper is to have 2 people working at it instead of one. |
RE: Weed barrier
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| For the landscape fabric, I cut "Earth Staples" from the ends of wire coat hangers. Stick them through the fabric into the earth. Holds great, doesn't help the back, however [grin] F |
RE: Weed barrier
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I'm using carpet in two areas this year.One is in a flower bed,but it will be more like a raised bed.The carpet is down and now I am going to fill it with leaves,pinestraw and leaf mold from my loose compost at the back of my lot.
I collect bags of straw and leaves in the spring & summer from the curb and let them rot in the bag till the following spring,or until the bags fall apart.Good stuff.
The second place is in a future rock garden.I'll put down a double layer of carpet there as I'll just be putting rocks on top and then succulents in the rocks.
Not sure I have been of any help to you,but I am doing both of these beds to cut down on yard work this year as my health isn't great.Anything to make life simplier.Happy gardening. |
RE: Weed barrier
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- Posted by alley 7b Ft. Worth, Tx (My Page) on
Sat, Feb 28, 09 at 21:21
| I have used some left over roofing shingles along a fense. I've also used newspaper. It would all probably work better if it wasn't bermuda grass that I was trying to stop. I used landscaping fabric under our sand pit. The burmuda grew as if it were in lush soil. The fabric made it really hard to dig the grass out. |
RE: Weed barrier
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| We don't have Bermuda grass to contend with. Just weeds. We're landscaping what was a vacant lot before we built this house a year ago. I'm leaning strongly toward newspaper where I want to do some planting, and cardboard...maybe some carpet in other areas. I was trying to eliminate a lot of bending over because of arthritis, but I will probably just have to bear with it. |
RE: Weed barrier
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| laurastheme......If you are wanting to eliminate so much bending,how about using large planters ? You could use any color if you cover with a very thick bed of straw after positioning them where you'd like.I mentioned above about using carpet and the lots of mulch in one flower bed.The mulch is proably about a foot and a half atm,but I'll have to add more as it settles and decomposes.We put down the carpet,filled in w mulch then I planted daylilies in the mulch along w soil.I will proably add potted plants in the spring and hide the black pots in the straw.No one but myself knows about the pots.Easier to weed and take care of. I love plants and flowers,but am looking for more that require little maintenance.My health isn't great atm,and I don't know how I'll be over the next year.I don't want to stop gardening,but need to get more creative in ways to make it easier. |
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