The stuff I usually use is non porous, your typical waterproof tarpaulin, I
put it down after I have taken the plants up. Taking it up late this winter
to get ready for planting, the ground was far from dry. It seems to keep the
moisure in. I have quite sandy soil. I am guessing that it created a
mcroclimate under the sheets, like lifting a rock up on a sunny day and
finding the ground damp underneath. Same critters under there too, slugs,
snails, woodlice and centipedes.

With the kale I did water the plants for a while through the slits but after
they were established I didn't water them again. They seemed happy so I left
them alone. I have been using the same tarps for three years and although
grubby and a bit tatty in places I guess that I won't need to buy any new
ones for a good few years yet.

--
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!


"Bertie Doe" wrote in message
...

"Hamer Family" wrote in message
...
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.

Thanks Mark that's good news as I intend to grow kale next year. We don't
have couch, maybe the soil's too acid. It's the worst year for dandylions
tho'.


The sheets I use are cheap blue and green woven plastic tarpaulins from
B&Q.

Does this mean they're non-porous and does it get dry underneath in
Summer?
The local discount warehouse has the porous plastic, on 2m wide rolls,
which sells at 49p per metre. Not a bad price, but it looks very flimsy, I
doubt whether I'll get 2 seasons out of it.
.

.