I posted on her somewhere earlier that I covered a mound of couch grass that
I had dug out with these plastic sheets, cut slits through and planted Kale
plants in as an experiment. When the Kale had finished I removed the plastic
sheets and found that the couch grass had more or less gone and the soil was
rich and crumbly. I use plastic sheets all the time now as I don't like to
dig if at all possible because of the damage to the various organisms in the
top layer of soil.

I am a bit of a newbie and have only been at this for a couple of years but
I usually mulch with manure in the Autumn and then cover with the sheets
letting the worms do their wonderful work of incorporating the manure into
the soil. I peel the plastic back in the spring, giving everything a quick
fork over and plant. It has worked well for me for the past couple of years.

Slugs are often surprised by a whack with a spade when the plastic comes
back because they are sitting there all vulnerable on the surface. I have
just made a pond out of an old bathtub and stocked it with tadpoles so all
being well the frogs will mop up the remaining slugs in the future.

The sheets I use are cheap blue and green woven plastic tarpaulins from B&Q.
--
Mark Hamer
www.another-way.co.uk

I don't want to arrive at my grave in an attractive and well preserved body,
hopefully I will be skidding in
sideways, Gin and Tonic in one hand -- Cigar in the other screaming YAHAAAY!