Ground cover

[Kongobongo]

Hello,does anybody here use white plastic as a ground cover instead of black? I want to start using something to limit disease but I fear black would heat up the roots too much.we can get super hot summer's here.thanks.

[slugworth]

coco fiber mats you put on your stairs during the winter to avoid breaking a hip.
keeps weeds down soil cooler via evaporation.
Living mulch also works;letting grass grow around the plants(the kind you have to mow)

[PaulF]

I would be afraid the heat and sunlight would reflect up and put plants at danger. I have tried black and brown and even red plastic and discarded all plastics. Plastic is a great weed barrier and in the early season makes for a ground warmer, but does not allow for water to get to the roots. Water puddled and ran off to the side. If you had a drip watering system that would keep moisture under the plastic I suppose.

I like a permeable mulching system; mine is a couple of layers of newspaper for weed suppression topped by 6-8 inches of weed-free straw. Rain or watering gets to the root system, heat early in spring is held in, heat is kept out during the hot, sunny days and it can all be tilled back into the soil in the fall to increase organics soil health.

[slugworth]

I tried straw mulch,but mice love to make nests in it so close to food.

[Kongobongo]

I'm liking the newspaper idea.will definitely try that next season with straw on top...sounds alot cheaper also.

[PaulF]

Mine has never had mice or any other critter make homes of that mulch. Every area is probably different. My newsprint comes from end rolls you may be able to get from a local newspaper. Mine were 32 inches wide and from 20 to 50 feet in length. Be sure to get weed free straw if you can find it. Mine comes from a local farmer.

[biscuitridge]

I'm using white plastic this year with 3 rows of drip tape underneath with 8" spacingon the emitters, seems to be working.