Black Plastic as mulch

[pmcgrady]

Going to be growing quite a few melons, squash and cucumbers this year, and have been reading a lot of growers recommend 6mil black plastic as mulch for them... Was wondering about planting tomatoes this way (I use paper/newspaper and straw). A 10'x50' row I could plant 20 tomatoes at 5' spacing, 2.5' from sides and ends. I would probably throw straw over plastic when it gets hot if needed. What about watering? I usually put a gallon can around seedling, and let tomato grow up through it and go down rows and fill cans to water them, which takes a lot of time. Any tips of growing tomatoes through plastic would be appreciated.

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by pmcgrady

Going to be growing quite a few melons, squash and cucumbers this year, and have been reading a lot of growers recommend 6mil black plastic as mulch for them... Was wondering about planting tomatoes this way (I use paper/newspaper and straw). A 10'x50' row I could plant 20 tomatoes at 5' spacing, 2.5' from sides and ends. I would probably throw straw over plastic when it gets hot if needed. What about watering? I usually put a gallon can around seedling, and let tomato grow up through it and go down rows and fill cans to water them, which takes a lot of time. Any tips of growing tomatoes through plastic would be appreciated.

Amost all the large scale farms I know lay down plastic first,using a machine which makes slits in the middle of the plastic at desired distances as the machine rolls along.

And then they lay drip hoses in the rows next to the plants which are usually determinate ones for easy machine harvesting.

The main positive thing for them is that it cuts down on any weeds and the rows are close together since the mechanical harvesters that they use harvests several rows at a time.

At one time there was a lot of attention to using red plastic on both sides of a plant,for home growers,as introduced by Clemson U,but that didn't turn out to be as positive when done by home growers. Such plastics come in several different colors now.

Carolyn

[AKmark]

Look for IRT, it is a commonly used mulch, and comes in a few different colors.

[reddeheddefarm]

we use 15 or 20 year landscape fabric made by Dewitt. You ave to burn or cut (use a torch). It will let rain in and keep weeds out. Don't judge the effectiveness of tis by results from big box fabric as they normally don't carry wat works.

[pmcgrady]

Originally Posted by reddeheddefarm

we use 15 or 20 year landscape fabric made by Dewitt. You ave to burn or cut (use a torch). It will let rain in and keep weeds out. Don't judge the effectiveness of tis by results from big box fabric as they normally don't carry wat works.

I used landscape fabric about 6 years ago, grass grew thru it, it was a nightmare getting it up in the fall, guess it was the wrong kind. It's been paper/straw since then, which is just tilled under every year. I did have blight issues last year and am hoping plastic mulch will help. Also I planted 135 plants all together, I'm spacing them out this year, maybe 10-20 plants per bed.

[reddeheddefarm]

the cheap stuff will do that. also housekeeping when planting is needed as quack grass will root in just a clump of dirt

[Cole_Robbie]

My family has a mulch layer. It's a pain to keep it running well. The machine scoops up a raised bed of dirt, puts drip tape on top, and stretches the plastic over the ridge. It's great when it works right. Everything has to be perfect.

I usually lay mine by hand. It's a lot of work. You can put it down flat, but then water will pool on it, and any leaves or vines that hang into the water will rot.

I buy my supplies from Morgan County Seed. Everything is fairly cheap in bulk. The drip tape comes in different emitter spacing. You'll want the 12". The 4" is for other crops like beans and lettuce.

The only crops we have had not do well on the black plastic are pumpkins. I think it is because we plant them in June when it is already hot. They would do better on white plastic, I think.

I left everything down from last summer. I'm planning to get two years out of my mulch and drip tape.

[pmcgrady]

Originally Posted by Cole_Robbie

My family has a mulch layer. It's a pain to keep it running well. The machine scoops up a raised bed of dirt, puts drip tape on top, and stretches the plastic over the ridge. It's great when it works right. Everything has to be perfect.

I usually lay mine by hand. It's a lot of work. You can put it down flat, but then water will pool on it, and any leaves or vines that hang into the water will rot.

I buy my supplies from Morgan County Seed. Everything is fairly cheap in bulk. The drip tape comes in different emitter spacing. You'll want the 12". The 4" is for other crops like beans and lettuce.

The only crops we have had not do well on the black plastic are pumpkins. I think it is because we plant them in June when it is already hot. They would do better on white plastic, I think.

I left everything down from last summer. I'm planning to get two years out of my mulch and drip tape.

I've been reading up on drip tape, what mil do you use? From what I read 5-6mil has to be replaced every year, 15 mil will last 5-6 years. Looking around I can purchase a 500'
12" emitter drip tape kit with filter,pressure regulator, back flow preventer for about $130.... Much cheaper than I expected.

[BigVanVader]

I'd say go for it. I used plastic last year and loved it. I went with the reflective to help keep bugs off my plants and it was very effective early season. If you go with IRT I have heard some growers complain of weed growth under it, but having never used it I cant say if that is really an issue.

[pmcgrady]

Originally Posted by BigVanVader

I'd say go for it. I used plastic last year and loved it. I went with the reflective to help keep bugs off my plants and it was very effective early season. If you go with IRT I have heard some growers complain of weed growth under it, but having never used it I cant say if that is really an issue.

I'm going to try 4 or 6 mil black plastic this year, 4ft wide for single row, 10ft wide for double row. It looks like IRT can get expensive and black plastic isn't cheap.

[Labradors2]

Can't seem to find that 6 ml black plastic in Canada. Can you believe that our BB stores don't carry it!

A friend bought a huge roll from a supply company and gave me some of it. I've used it for 3 years on my tomatoes and I love it. I don't usually have to water them at all once the plants are established.

This summer, I grew the cherries and indeterminates under black plastic but the row of dwarfs had to be content with a 4" thick mulch of pond weed over the entire row. We had a severe drought and, although I watered each plant individually every day, the dwarfs didn't produce very much fruit, whereas the other two rows of plants under the black plastic didn't suffer at all.

It may not be very organic, but it's black plastic for me next year (if I can find some!)

Linda

[FarmerShawn]

I've been using plastic mulch for three years now, and I love it! I do have a mulch layer, and it forms the raised bed, lays one or two drip lines, lays the plastic, and buries the edges in a single pass. I don't find it troublesome at all to keep running well. For some things, I've switched to biodegradable plastic (made from corn starch), which I like for the time saving in the fall, and for the absence of disposal issues. But for tomatoes, the need for it to last all season dictates that I stick to the real plastic. I get mine from Rain-Flo, but I have got some from Dubois Agrinovation in Canada.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Cole_Robbie]

The owner thinks the Internet is the devil, and they didn't have any web site for a long time. A friend of his finally put one up. The paper catalog is the way to go. Just call them and ask for one.

[Rajun Gardener]

https://www.morgancountyseeds.com/pr...rts/drip-tape/

[PaulF]

Over the years I have used black plastic, red plastic and landscape fabric of several different thicknesses. All the above did well for weed suppression. The plastics were OK but since I did not use drip waterers, it was difficult to water, either from rainfall or from a hose. I did install a soaker hose under the plastic and that seemed to do alright. I even a couple of years put down plastic and then grass clippings and/or straw on top.

Landscape fabric solved the water flow through problem but grass seemed to grow through the thin stuff. Commercial fabric did better but was expensive. I like to change locations in the garden for growing tomatoes, so the fabric needed to be taken up and moved yearly. The thin stuff only lasted a couple of years and the thick expensive fabric only a year longer.

I have gone back to newsprint and straw for mulch and most likely will continue. Cheap and effective and it all gets tilled under after the season is over for added organic material. Since I only grow 35 plants that makes this mulch effective for me. In a larger space it may require a different style.