On 12/06/2011 17:42, Dave Hill wrote:
Thanks to the EU banning more chemicals I can no longer use a pre
emergent herbicide on the dahlias so I have had to switch to a ground
cover / mulch fabric,
This comes in a 100m roll 1.4 m wide and has to be layed by hand.
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/f...undcover02.jpg
I've now put down 16 beds and will put short beds accross the top at
right angles to the main batch. http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/f...undcover03.jpg
All I have planted so far are my "Tree dahlias" 78 of them.
The main batch of dahlias will be planted through the mulch which will
have to be lifted to lift the tubers in the Autumn, I will also be
doing a 1000 or so pot tubers (I Hope) and another 800 seedling
dahlias also in post which will be planted through the sheeting but
which should lift leaving the sheet in place for next year.
David Hill

I don't know if it would be possible, but could you plant your dahlias
in (large) water-lily containers - those things which are open-weave
plastic baskets? If they were planted at ground level, could you not
attach binder string (or something similar) and just lift them through
an X cut in the membrane before winter? It's too late now, but if it
worked you could save time by just using a square metre of fabric above
each basket, rather than lay out whole rolls and plant through them.

Of course, all this would depend on the dahlias not being able to form
tubers outside the basket.

Whatever, it seems you're in for a lot of work thanks to the EC zealots.

--

Jeff