Landscape fabric

[JRinPA]

The ground cover I use is DeWitt 3.2oz with the yellow lines. This 3.2oz when new will pool up water for a while, when used atop raised beds. I'm not sure how much different it is than the DeWitt landscape fabric listed as 4.1oz or 5 oz.



I made a tool (board and pvc pipe) to lay down on the row and walk on to make a channel to direct water into the planting holes. That makes it very easy to efficiently water overhead.

[kycountryboy]

This is my first year using DeWitt fabric. I have been extremely satisfied, no weeds, less watering. I can walk in garden,right after a rain. I really dont have any complaints so far. I had a friend that has used it 2 years, he says you will never see bare ground after planting time, in his garden. I heat up a 6" black stove pipe cap, mounted on a 3' peice of all thread. I use a weed burner torch to heat, to burn holes in fabric.

[SteveP]

I used weed fabric in my 9'x36' raised bed for the last 4-5 years and it worked pretty well at controlling weeds. I only grew tomatoes, so it was easy. This year I am growing tomatoes, peppers, onions, lettuce, green beans, okra and potatoes and am not using weed mat and I am weeding every day or two. It sucks! I have about 4" of straw around my tomatoes, peppers and onions which does help. I hate weeding, but I hate a garden full of weeds more.

[JRinPA]

SteveP What prompted the change from using a weed mat?



I also have to burn holes in the dewitt 3.2 oz woven. I use a weed burner torch to heat a can, a biggish soup can of about 3" diameter. I sharpened the rim so it cuts well and hold the can in a vice grips. Without burning any edges, the stuff does unravel. Someone hit a corner with a mower one time; that was a mess!

[b54red]

I tried several brands for a couple of years but water just didn't permeate it enough and I had plants suffering from lack of water. I even put holes in it but that just let the weeds through and surprisingly some weeds even grew in the dark under the fabric making an even bigger mess. I finally found the best option for me in an area prone to torrential downpours followed by some extensive droughts and near 100 degree temps many days from early summer through early fall and that was a thick layer of cypress mulch. It does double duty in keeping the ground cool where the fabric did just the opposite and it blocks most weeds and what few do come up are easily removed every few weeks.

Bill

[simmran1]

I also use Dewitt brand and specifically Pro 5, which is the one usually sold out at Lowe's.
Rain never stands or puddles and it used to have a year rating, but I see the new rolls at Lowe's now only have a weight. I have used the same strips for 5 years and it shows only slight UV lightness. As mentioned you can cover with pine bark nuggets, straw, greass clippings etc.

I don't use pins - I use Grip Fast® Pro #16 x 4" Steel Washer Head Lag Screws with Torx head, they come right out with your drill at the end of season.

[JRinPA]

4" screws, interesting. For my compost rows I use the 8" heavy duty staples, 500 for $36 I think I paid. I do want to make a 2 stage pin setter for them but I never get to it.