"A.Lee" wrote in message
...
I'm laying a gravelled area over existing soil next week - when we
moved
here, there was rather an abundance of weeds (ground elder iirc)
scattered over the existing gravelled area.
I didnt realise, until I'd started clearing it, that there was already
a
thick black plastic sheet lying on the soil. The weeds had an
extensive
root network, that was directly below the plastic sheet - some roots
were 3 feet long, with the majority above the soil, but below the
plastic.

Now I am going to relay the gravelled area, with a deeper gravel
cover.
Do I liberally coat the area with Sodium Chlorate weedkiler (then do
it
again every 4-6 months), or should I buy one of the black netting type
membranes that are currently available?

The membrane is £40 for the area needed, 2 years of weedkiller is £12.
If the membrane is a waste of time, like the last one, then there is
no
point spending the extra to put it down under the gravel.

You cannot really compare a plastic sheet with membranne as the former
is impervious and the latter pervious. When you get rid of the plastic
and all of the roots which are present and then lay the membrane you
will be free from weeds, except for some occasional very week spinldly
ones which will attempt to grown in the gravel.


Thanks for any thoughts.
Alan.

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