Henderman said:Not plastic but I use landscape fabric around my tomatoes and eggplants, it works well.
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Weedwhacker said:It's been a long, long time since I tried using plastic for "mulch," but also found that it was very slippery (and I was a lot more nimble back then...).
Ed you might want to consider using corrugated cardboard, which will break down after a while. Actually, the plastic will also eventually break down from the UV rays, and then it really becomes a mess...
Weedwhacker said:Never mind the southeast - I've had exactly the same experience with landscape fabric. It always seems like such a good idea - until you realize it has made the problem that you were trying to solve even worse
Ed, I think at one point Farmerdill had suggested this: arrange your garden with enough room between rows so you can run your tiller through them to clean up the weeds. That would also disrupt any ants that are trying to move in. (and get the weeds when they're small, don't let them take hold and go to seed)
farmerdill said:Concur: kudzu makes fine grazing. Goats love it. It can't stand cultivation tho so don't disturb it. It has to do its own thing. It is deathly afraid of hoes , tillers, plows, cultivators and other earth disturbing devices. For me . it tastes as good if not better than kale which is not saying much. Kale has the advantage of being a winter crop for us.
Intheswamp said:
...Once I get the obstacles removed I'm going to take my tiller and till it all to a pulp. Remove grass and roots. Till again. Remove grass and roots. Rinse, repeat. I know there'll be weed seeds to contend with but I'm going to start a regular tilling routine between the rows and try to keep it under control. I think @farmerdill 's recommendation is spot on about tilling the weeds under. I've just got to get back to the point where I can do that....all in due time, I suppose.