I'm laying a gravelled area over existing soil next week - when we moved
here, there was rather an abundance of weeds (ground elder iirc)
scattered over the existing gravelled area.
I didnt realise, until I'd started clearing it, that there was already a
thick black plastic sheet lying on the soil. The weeds had an extensive
root network, that was directly below the plastic sheet - some roots
were 3 feet long, with the majority above the soil, but below the
plastic.

Now I am going to relay the gravelled area, with a deeper gravel cover.
Do I liberally coat the area with Sodium Chlorate weedkiler (then do it
again every 4-6 months), or should I buy one of the black netting type
membranes that are currently available?

The membrane is £40 for the area needed, 2 years of weedkiller is £12.
If the membrane is a waste of time, like the last one, then there is no
point spending the extra to put it down under the gravel.

Thanks for any thoughts.
Alan.

--
To reply by e-mail, change the ' + ' to 'plus'.

"A.Lee" wrote in message
...
I'm laying a gravelled area over existing soil next week - when we moved
here, there was rather an abundance of weeds (ground elder iirc)
scattered over the existing gravelled area.
I didnt realise, until I'd started clearing it, that there was already a
thick black plastic sheet lying on the soil. The weeds had an extensive
root network, that was directly below the plastic sheet - some roots
were 3 feet long, with the majority above the soil, but below the
plastic.

Now I am going to relay the gravelled area, with a deeper gravel cover.
Do I liberally coat the area with Sodium Chlorate weedkiler (then do it
again every 4-6 months), or should I buy one of the black netting type
membranes that are currently available?

The membrane is £40 for the area needed, 2 years of weedkiller is £12.
If the membrane is a waste of time, like the last one, then there is no
point spending the extra to put it down under the gravel.

Thanks for any thoughts.
Alan.

--
To reply by e-mail, change the ' + ' to 'plus'.

If you are in a wetter part of the uk its very difficult to keep gravel
clear of weeds with or without a membrane, but having a membrane does make
lifting the gravel easier in the future (mine constantly silts up with plant
debris and has to be sieved) of all the parts of my garden it is the gravel
that requires the most work although it gives me huge amounts of plants like
foxgloves and aquilegia for planting elsewhere! I use a "Path Clear" type
weedkiller

--
Charlie, Gardening in Cornwall
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of National collections of Clematis viticella
and Lapageria rosea cultivars

Charlie Pridham wrote:
"A.Lee" wrote in message
...
I'm laying a gravelled area over existing soil next week - when we moved
here, there was rather an abundance of weeds (ground elder iirc)
scattered over the existing gravelled area.
I didnt realise, until I'd started clearing it, that there was already a
thick black plastic sheet lying on the soil. The weeds had an extensive
root network, that was directly below the plastic sheet - some roots
were 3 feet long, with the majority above the soil, but below the
plastic.

Now I am going to relay the gravelled area, with a deeper gravel cover.
Do I liberally coat the area with Sodium Chlorate weedkiler (then do it
again every 4-6 months), or should I buy one of the black netting type
membranes that are currently available?

The membrane is £40 for the area needed, 2 years of weedkiller is £12.
If the membrane is a waste of time, like the last one, then there is no
point spending the extra to put it down under the gravel.

Thanks for any thoughts.
Alan.

--
To reply by e-mail, change the ' + ' to 'plus'.

If you are in a wetter part of the uk its very difficult to keep gravel
clear of weeds with or without a membrane, but having a membrane does make
lifting the gravel easier in the future (mine constantly silts up with plant
debris and has to be sieved) of all the parts of my garden it is the gravel
that requires the most work although it gives me huge amounts of plants like
foxgloves and aquilegia for planting elsewhere! I use a "Path Clear" type
weedkiller

--
Charlie, Gardening in Cornwall
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of National collections of Clematis viticella
and Lapageria rosea cultivars


I have the rather expensive membrane under my gravel, yes weeds do grow
but they are easy to pull up. Keeping the gravel free of debris is
another matter, the biggest culprits are the blackbirds who spread mulch
far and wide when hunting for food, bless their little yellow beaks!

"A.Lee" wrote in message
...
I'm laying a gravelled area over existing soil next week - when we
moved
here, there was rather an abundance of weeds (ground elder iirc)
scattered over the existing gravelled area.
I didnt realise, until I'd started clearing it, that there was already
a
thick black plastic sheet lying on the soil. The weeds had an
extensive
root network, that was directly below the plastic sheet - some roots
were 3 feet long, with the majority above the soil, but below the
plastic.

Now I am going to relay the gravelled area, with a deeper gravel
cover.
Do I liberally coat the area with Sodium Chlorate weedkiler (then do
it
again every 4-6 months), or should I buy one of the black netting type
membranes that are currently available?

The membrane is £40 for the area needed, 2 years of weedkiller is £12.
If the membrane is a waste of time, like the last one, then there is
no
point spending the extra to put it down under the gravel.

You cannot really compare a plastic sheet with membranne as the former
is impervious and the latter pervious. When you get rid of the plastic
and all of the roots which are present and then lay the membrane you
will be free from weeds, except for some occasional very week spinldly
ones which will attempt to grown in the gravel.


Thanks for any thoughts.
Alan.

--
To reply by e-mail, change the ' + ' to 'plus'.

I have used a few membranes on my allotment, this year - for the runner
beans, raspberries, butternut squash and am thinking of using more but I
have one question.



Laying the membrane isn't a problem it's the cutting of the holes to suit
the crop. Once the holes are cut to suit, let's say, the planting distances
of a particular variety of cabbage, doesn't it mean that that membrane can
really only be used for crops with the same planting distances? I can
understand where the crop is static - such as fruit bushes but not for
general planting.



If the membrane has additional holes cut to suit other planting distances
the membrane would tend to look like a sieve and the weeds would grow up
through the holes that aren't being used. Okay, several planting layouts
could be cut in a single membrane but there would be a limit,



Am I right and if so, isn't that expensive in that many membranes have to be
kept to suit every crop? Or is it necessary to buy new membrane material
each year?



What am I missing (apart from a brain, that is!)



Sorry, if this sounds daft to those of you who use membranes successfully
and, probably can't see my problem but while I'd like to use more of them, I
am stuck with this mental picture of either having a few membranes with
holes to suit every eventuality or a whole host of membranes, each one
designed to suit a particular crop - or buying a new membrane each year!!!!



Reading the posts, it seems everybody understands how to use membranes -
except me!



Regards,



John

"John Vanini" wrote in message
...
I have used a few membranes on my allotment, this year - for the runner
beans, raspberries, butternut squash and am thinking of using more but I
have one question.



Laying the membrane isn't a problem it's the cutting of the holes to suit
the crop. Once the holes are cut to suit, let's say, the planting
distances of a particular variety of cabbage, doesn't it mean that that
membrane can really only be used for crops with the same planting
distances? I can understand where the crop is static - such as fruit
bushes but not for general planting.



If the membrane has additional holes cut to suit other planting distances
the membrane would tend to look like a sieve and the weeds would grow up
through the holes that aren't being used. Okay, several planting layouts
could be cut in a single membrane but there would be a limit,



Am I right and if so, isn't that expensive in that many membranes have to
be kept to suit every crop? Or is it necessary to buy new membrane
material each year?



What am I missing (apart from a brain, that is!)



Sorry, if this sounds daft to those of you who use membranes successfully
and, probably can't see my problem but while I'd like to use more of them,
I am stuck with this mental picture of either having a few membranes with
holes to suit every eventuality or a whole host of membranes, each one
designed to suit a particular crop - or buying a new membrane each
year!!!!



Reading the posts, it seems everybody understands how to use membranes -
except me!



Regards,



John


If you cut your membrane in the form of a cross with a sharp knife, when the
plant has finished, the flaps will fold back and close up. What I would do
then is to place another piece of cut membrane, at least 3 times the area of
the cross slit and place it UNDER the membrane under the cross and then
start again with your next crop, cutting another slot cross with a sharp
knife and away you go again :-)

Mike


--
The Royal Naval Electrical Branch Association.
'THE' Association if you served in the Electrical Branch of the Royal Navy
Reunion Bournemouth August/September 2007 FULL. WAIT LIST OPERATING
www.rneba.org.uk
"Navy Days" Portsmouth 25th - 27th July 2008. RN Shipmates will have a Stand

Thanks Mike,

I thought that the explanation would be something like that but what you've
said is better than I imagined and very clear to understand.

Thanks very much! I'll use membranes more often, now, and with confidence!
And my brain's stopped hurting (lol)!

Regards,

John


"'Mike'" wrote in message
...

"John Vanini" wrote in message
...
I have used a few membranes on my allotment, this year - for the runner
beans, raspberries, butternut squash and am thinking of using more but I
have one question.



Laying the membrane isn't a problem it's the cutting of the holes to suit
the crop. Once the holes are cut to suit, let's say, the planting
distances of a particular variety of cabbage, doesn't it mean that that
membrane can really only be used for crops with the same planting
distances? I can understand where the crop is static - such as fruit
bushes but not for general planting.



If the membrane has additional holes cut to suit other planting distances
the membrane would tend to look like a sieve and the weeds would grow up
through the holes that aren't being used. Okay, several planting layouts
could be cut in a single membrane but there would be a limit,



Am I right and if so, isn't that expensive in that many membranes have to
be kept to suit every crop? Or is it necessary to buy new membrane
material each year?



What am I missing (apart from a brain, that is!)



Sorry, if this sounds daft to those of you who use membranes successfully
and, probably can't see my problem but while I'd like to use more of
them, I am stuck with this mental picture of either having a few
membranes with holes to suit every eventuality or a whole host of
membranes, each one designed to suit a particular crop - or buying a new
membrane each year!!!!



Reading the posts, it seems everybody understands how to use membranes -
except me!



Regards,



John


If you cut your membrane in the form of a cross with a sharp knife, when
the plant has finished, the flaps will fold back and close up. What I
would do then is to place another piece of cut membrane, at least 3 times
the area of the cross slit and place it UNDER the membrane under the cross
and then start again with your next crop, cutting another slot cross with
a sharp knife and away you go again :-)

Mike


--
The Royal Naval Electrical Branch Association.
'THE' Association if you served in the Electrical Branch of the Royal Navy
Reunion Bournemouth August/September 2007 FULL. WAIT LIST OPERATING
www.rneba.org.uk
"Navy Days" Portsmouth 25th - 27th July 2008. RN Shipmates will have a
Stand