|
| Is there anything wrong with the old style kind of plastic? (The kind that has no holes for light and water to get through.)
I laid some modern plastic down in the walkways in the garden. I was surprised this Fall to see my dirt under them is dry, rock-hard, pale pink clay still. I had laid down solid plastic many years ago in a flower bed. The earth underneath turned dark brown and became rich from worm activity in 1 season. I am wondering if it would be okay to use the solid plastic next year on the walkways so that the worms have a better place to live. (where the veggies are grown, there is no plastic. It's only between the rows in my 125 foot garden.) Thank you,
|
Follow-Up Postings:
|
- Posted by darth_weeder z7 NY (My Page) on Mon, Oct 31, 11 at 13:58
| I'm not a fan of plastic either new or old, and I'm confused about how you could have created the results you had with one and not the other. My guess would be that there has to be other factors involved. Ijust mulch my garden with leaves, hay or straw. |
|
| Plastic as a rule does not allow the soil under it to breath, there is no air exchange necessary for a soil to be healthy. Plastic can also keep water from getting to that soil. Plastic is also made from non renewable resources and for that reason alone is not something you should want to use for a "weed" barrier, but it is not good for the soil as well. |
|
| I've pretty much decided not to use anything in my garden that doesn't decay away. The previous owner of my house used a white gravel mulch in the gardens years ago, and now years later it is a disaster. The mulch is long ago covered, but it is about impossible to do anything in these beds that doesn't involve buckets full of rocks in the soil. I've pulled out lots and lots of that stupid landscape fabric out of yards in the past. I use a chipped wood mulch available free from the county in pathways and around borders of flower beds. Not many weeds work their way into this mulch, but what does is easy to kill (vinegar, burning, digging, or if persistent something stronger). And ultimately the soil is getting better as this mulch breaks down. |
|
| I agree with kimmsr, plastic (usually visqueen) does not allow air and water to penetrate the soil, thus preventing any biodegradation of organic material as darth weeder indicated by saying that it should have been the other way around. Plastic has nothing to do with worm activity, decaying organic material does. Mulches are much better, even if you have to replace some annually. Plastic eventually hardens, cracks and shatters, and is a PITA to get out of the soil at some point down the road. hortster |
Please Note: Only registered members are able to post messages to this forum. If you are a member, please log in. If you aren't yet a member, join now!
Return to the Soil Forum
Instructions
- You must be a registered member and logged in to post messages on our forums.
- Posting is a two-step process. Once you have composed your message, you will be taken to the preview page. You will then have a chance to review the contents and make changes.
- After posting your message, you may need to refresh the forum page in order to see it.
- It is illegal to post copyrighted material without the owner's consent.
- HTML codes are allowed in the message field only.
- No advertising is allowed in any of the forums.
- If you would like to practice posting or uploading photos, please visit our Test forum.
- If you need assistance, please Contact Us and we will be happy to help.