On 1 Jun 2006 14:07:08 -0700, "AndyS" wrote:

Andy asks:

I've read that some posters here use black plastic with
plants like tomatoes, and probably others as well.

I use weed cloth, which is black, but not plastic. I want something
that's going to let the moisture in, but keep the weeds down.
Depending on your weeds, it works pretty well. Some persistent ones
will try and grow out the same hole as the tomato, and crab grass will
grow right over it. It still prevents hours and hours of weeding,
though.

I cover over the weed paper with pine bark mulch, and rake it off in
the winter before I till the garden again.

So, it sounds like a really good idea.

Are there any disadvantages to using black plastic that
I should be aware of ?

Unless you have an irrigation system that runs under the plastic,
watering can be an issue. That's why I use a permeable weed paper.



Penelope
--
"Maybe you'd like to ask the Wizard for a heart."
"ElissaAnn"