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OK, fabric or plastic..lol
I was tilling today and thinking.... does anyone have a reason they use one or the other to heat the soil and block weeds? The plastics advantage I see is its cheaper. I used it years ago but very limited.
How do you all use it, in rows with exposed soil between the sheets or 100% soil coverage? I had a real problem with weeds this year and would like to have 100% coverage instead of just the planting rows. Thoughts?
I'm cutting trees and clearing brush, gonna have an even bigger melon patch next season. :)

11/20/2011 10:13:11 PM

formerly RGG

Roots have to breathe and they have to have moisture. A lot of plastic will allow them to do little of either. That said, I grew my 207 two years ago on plastic.I used fabric this past season and was much happier with it. For a Carolina Cross plant to grow giant melons the vines have to be able to root. I cut slits in my fabric at key places to allow rooting to happen.

11/20/2011 10:21:40 PM

Thank you, all great points.

11/20/2011 10:52:49 PM

Muddy Waters

yes plastic a real bad idea,the entire root system needs water!30 feet from stump!

11/21/2011 7:56:50 AM

Ohio

What about using cardboard? I was thinking of trying it next year. It wouldn't be as choking as plastic but wouldn't be quite as airy as fabric. I have grown on fabric the past 2 years.

11/23/2011 11:13:15 PM

formerly RGG

I have tried cardboard and found it a lot less satisfactory than landscaping fabric.It does help a lot to control weeds and certainly has better breath-ability than black plastic.

11/24/2011 12:12:52 AM

Corryton, TN

You might try rosin paper. It comes in a large roll and will decompose with time. Been used in construction and landscaping for years.

11/24/2011 7:14:36 AM

Linden, Mi.,

The every day News Paper. works great and goes away (decompose) easily.

11/24/2011 10:53:48 AM

Great responses, thank you all
I hate weeds

11/24/2011 10:31:29 PM

formerly RGG

One of the things I hated about cardboard is it is not very good for staying in place. Especially on a hillside one piece of dry cardboard sitting on top of another piece gets very slick sometimes when you walk on it. I have managed to fall or almost fall several times when I stepped on a piece of cardboard and it shifted under me.

11/24/2011 11:41:43 PM

Muddy Waters

Why do I feel like Im at the grocery store??

11/25/2011 7:38:59 AM