On Jul 10, 3:07*pm, AndyS wrote:
Stubby wrote:
Black plastic film will work. * Lanscape fabric is awful because weeds,
including crabgrass, will come up through it.

Andy adds:

* *I have used both black plastic and landscape fabric, and observed
the
results for many years.
* *Stubby is correct.

* * My best results were black plastic with gravel over it for at
least two
inches. *This protects the black plastic from sunlight, which will
degrade
it in one or two years. *With gravel over it, *after 20 years it is
still intact.
Gravel doesn't blow away. *And with two inches, you can walk on it
without tearing up the plastic underneath.... I like the small pink
gravel,
but I have also used the large white rock....

* *Regarding the soil underneath ----- *With black plastic, *you get
the
same effect as if you put down a concrete slab, or a concrete or
asphalt driveway. *The soil underneath remains stable, and does NOT
dry out. *In fact, it stays more stable since most of the "drying
out"
would occur from evaporation from the surface, and that is virtually
eliminated. * Same thing as happens in roadways and parking lots.
Things are better. *The soil moisture difufuses IN from the sides and
causes problems only at the edges, such as the edge of a foundation
of a house...... Underneath is no problem. *However, bugs and ants
can live underneath. *Also gardening sites warn about fungus. *I have
seen bugs -- I haven't seen fungus.

* *Regarding weeds. *All that has been posted here *by the other
posters about weeds growing in landscape fabric is true......

* * Presently, *I use black, 4 or 6 mil black plastic to block off the
big areas.
I cover it with gravel. Or mulch, if I don't mind replacing it a
couple times
a year since it washes and blows away.

If I want a bush, I remove the gravel and plastic for, say a two or
three
foot circle. *Dig the hole, put in some compost, put in the bush and
then
put landscape fabric to cover the hole. *That way I can water the bush
effectively until it recovers, and the rain will have a place to run
in
under the plastic. *I have had very little weed growth in these small
areas. Apparently the bush takes the nutrients before the weeds, but
I'm not sure ----- it just isn't much of a problem.

* *The area is North Texas , where the summers are always in drought
and
the winter and spring is usually pretty wet. *The soil is mostly clay,
and the
temps are above 100 in summer and almost never go below 32F at any
time..... * That stuff is probly important, tho you can get more
thorough
advice from your local ag extension service....

* * * * * * * * * *Andy in Eureka, Texas


And all that has what to do with the question, which was growing turf
on top of a membrane?