Not only professional landscape gardeners, but also hobby gardeners are now using clever methods to combat weeds, for example by laying weed fleece. Although this is a somewhat controversial remedy, it makes gardening easier and effectively prevents the new growth of weeds and rhizomes. There are also different variants that either consist of woven fabric or function as a ground cover in garden beds. Whether you're a newbie or a pro at gardening, this can practically save you the hassle of weeding. This allows you to invest more time in your crops and optimize your garden care. Here is some useful information and important factors to consider.
What should you pay attention to when laying weed control?
The main benefits of soil liners are that they smother weeds and protect garden soil from heavy rainfall, compaction and drying out. This means that the soil nutrients are preserved for garden plants and you prevent erosion without itDigging garden soilto have to. However, it is important to know what kind of weeds foil prevents them from growing and when you should lay a weed control fabric. So that you can rely on it for a long time, you should choose high-quality materials that are weather-resistant and difficult to damage.
Additionally, all of your weed control efforts may have been in vain if low quality sheeting allows weeds to grow shortly after installation. It would therefore make sense to take the bed and material selection into account when laying weed control. Many manufacturers offer sturdy products and you can choose the appropriate length for your garden beds depending on your needs. To make the right decision, you can learn more about it below.
How do you use foil in the garden when weeding?
Such weed control membranes mostly involve permeable and non-woven geotextiles. These help suppress and control weed growth without the need to use chemicals and weed killers. In addition, laying floor covering films enables reliable drainage and filtration.
Proper use ensures that the garden soil is provided with nutrients, air circulation and moisture for unhindered plant growth. All this allows for complete suppression of weed and rhizome growth, as well as use under artificial turf. However, some variants are more suitable for horticultural applications. You can lay weed control under gravel, bark mulch, garden paths, as well as in raised beds and even inSandboxes for childrenor succulents.
When should you lay weed control in the garden bed?
As already described, such covering films can be used practically for several purposes in landscaping. For example, you can use this to protect flowers and bushes, as well as vegetables in your garden beds, from weeds. Laying weed control fabric on slopes or under slabs on garden terraces is also one of the versatile areas of application for such helpful products. This can eliminate the need to use weed killers that could be harmful to garden plants or pets.
Accordingly, you can lay weed control fabric to prevent weed seeds from germinating in your garden soil or from landing in your bed from above and taking root. This would also be a sensible option if you are looking for easy-to-install and low-maintenance weed control options. This makes gardening easier and you can care for your garden plants without much effort.
When laying weed control, follow tips and simple steps
If you choose this option, correct installation is crucial. However, this is relatively simple and usually requires no prior knowledge. You will also need simple tools and materials, such as a garden hoe, staples, hammer, tape measure, rake, utility knife and possibly mulch. In addition, before laying, you should ensure that you have removed any weeds and other objects.
- First, try to clear the soil of all the overgrown rhizomes and other vegetation, as well as sharp stones. Only then can you rake the garden area to obtain a flat ground surface before installation. This means you can easily lay your weed control fabric without sharp objects damaging the fabric.
- First, you can overlap the edges of the fabric. If you want to lay more than one row of your beds with weed control fabric, you should place the edges at least 15 cm above each other. This will prevent weeds from growing through the seams. It is then very easy to fix the overlaps with staples or dowels, as well as using bark mulch to fix the weed fleece.
- The next step is to create a so-called collar if you want to add crops to the foil-laid garden area. To do this, you can cut a cross into the fabric for each plant and open it up. You can then remove the soil and position the corresponding plant in the hole. Then make sure your plant is established and well watered.
- Next, you can put the ground cover back on, being careful not to leave any soil on it. As an additional measure to combat weeds, you can make a collar, but out of a rectangle of fabric. This should be large enough to cover the cross cuts. To do this, you can cut a single slit halfway up the rectangle and place it over the cross slits and stems.
- Finally, within 24 hours of installation, you can cover the groundsheet with 4 to 5 cm of aggregate or mulch. This protects the material from UV rays and enables better adhesion and permeability.
