plastic mulch
 

Dear Gardner's

For the first time I am trying a black polythene mulch of 1m squared around
the base of a young fruit tree, as recommended to warm soil and suppress
weeds. (the tree is on a 25 degree slope)

However I am concerned that the tree will miss out on rain water, as it will
run over the sheet and not pass into the soil. Do I need to make some holes
in the plastic sheet or water the tree? Last year I did not have to water
without the mulch.

Thank you for your advice

Iain


+

plastic mulch
 

"bill" wrote in message
...
Dear Gardner's

For the first time I am trying a black polythene mulch of 1m squared
around
the base of a young fruit tree, as recommended to warm soil and suppress
weeds. (the tree is on a 25 degree slope)

However I am concerned that the tree will miss out on rain water, as it
will
run over the sheet and not pass into the soil. Do I need to make some
holes
in the plastic sheet or water the tree? Last year I did not have to water
without the mulch.

Thank you for your advice

Iain

If you use the ground cover woven fabrics or coir mats this will not be a
problem

--
Charlie, gardening in Cornwall.
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of National Plant Collections of Clematis viticella (cvs) and
Lapageria rosea

plastic mulch
 

"bill" wrote in message
...
Dear Gardner's

For the first time I am trying a black polythene mulch of 1m squared
around
the base of a young fruit tree, as recommended to warm soil and
suppress
weeds. (the tree is on a 25 degree slope)

However I am concerned that the tree will miss out on rain water, as
it will
run over the sheet and not pass into the soil. Do I need to make
some holes
in the plastic sheet or water the tree? Last year I did not have to
water
without the mulch.

I use really big flat rocks as mulch and to stop weeds under some of
my trees. The rocks also seem to stop the frosts from impacting on
the tree as much as the unrocked ones so I assume that they also work
as soil warmers.

(I can't use plastic in my climate as it's far too dry and I'd just
end up with dead trees)

plastic mulch
 

On Wed, 31 Jan 2007 09:12:05 -0000
"Charlie Pridham" wrote:


"bill" wrote in message
...
Dear Gardner's

For the first time I am trying a black polythene mulch of 1m squared
around
the base of a young fruit tree, as recommended to warm soil and suppress
weeds. (the tree is on a 25 degree slope)

However I am concerned that the tree will miss out on rain water, as it
will
run over the sheet and not pass into the soil. Do I need to make some
holes
in the plastic sheet or water the tree? Last year I did not have to water
without the mulch.

Thank you for your advice

Iain

If you use the ground cover woven fabrics or coir mats this will not be a
problem


I've used the coir disks around maples and wondered recently whether the
very high moisture retention properties are a bad thing visavis disease,
in particular verticillium. In practice virtually any japanese maple from
the trade will come down with verticillium if overly stressed, but it seems
to me that having almost permanent moisture at the root flair can't help.

I guess that the woven fabric offers better air flow and as such is a
superior solution for me, and this fall I stopped using the mats in favor
of the cloth. Also the cloth allows you to cover a larger area for bigger
specimens.

-E


--
Emery Davis
You can reply to ecom
by removing the well known companies
Questions about wine? Visit http://winefaq.hostexcellence.com

plastic mulch
 

On 30 Jan, 18:10, "bill" wrote:
For the first time I am trying a black polythene mulch of 1m squared around
the base of a young fruit tree, as recommended to warm soil and suppress
weeds. (the tree is on a 25 degree slope)
However I am concerned that the tree will miss out on rain water, as it will
run over the sheet and not pass into the soil. Do I need to make some holes
in the plastic sheet or water the tree? Last year I did not have to water
without the mulch.

I've used a Tildnet black porous sheet which comes with its own little
nails to mulch around our red currant. I then covered it with bark
mulch. I wouldn't have used a plastic sheet as, as you said, it
doesn't let the water in. Around the rasberries I use cardboard and
newspapers and then bark mulch which I change annually. I find the
cardboard totally disapear. I didn't want to use cardboard around the
red currant because I have lots of forget me not and other flowers
growing around them as well as being very close to the strawberries
area. The wind (foxes, badgers, cats, birds etc) dislodge the
cardboards HTH

plastic mulch
 

On 31 Jan, 11:23, "La Puce" wrote:
On 30 Jan, 18:10, "bill" wrote:

For the first time I am trying a black polythene mulch of 1m squared around
the base of a young fruit tree, as recommended to warm soil and suppress
weeds. (the tree is on a 25 degree slope)
However I am concerned that the tree will miss out on rain water, as it will
run over the sheet and not pass into the soil. Do I need to make some holes
in the plastic sheet or water the tree? Last year I did not have to water
without the mulch.

ps (forgot your question): If I was you I would remove the plastic
around your fruit tree and use either cardboards/newspapers as a weed
surpressant or some porous black sheet suitable for that purpose.

plastic mulch
 

Taken your advice on board

Thank you to everyone

Iain


"bill" wrote in message
...
Dear Gardner's

For the first time I am trying a black polythene mulch of 1m squared
around
the base of a young fruit tree, as recommended to warm soil and suppress
weeds. (the tree is on a 25 degree slope)

However I am concerned that the tree will miss out on rain water, as it
will
run over the sheet and not pass into the soil. Do I need to make some
holes
in the plastic sheet or water the tree? Last year I did not have to water
without the mulch.

Thank you for your advice

Iain


+