I have never even heard of occultation, I saw the tarp and thought that was just to lay the soil on when a new hole was being dug.
I had to look it up:
What is occultation?
"Occultation is similar to solarization, but opaque coverings are used instead of clear. While it may sound counterintuitive, fields covered in clear plastic become hotter than fields covered in black plastic."
"Why choose occultation over solarization?
While occultation takes longer, there are a few benefits.
The types of tarps used in occultation tend to be re-usable.
Solarization tarps are thin and more prone to tears.
Because opaque tarps are multi-functional, you may already have some at home."
