Covered part of the bed with clear plastic...

Adenn1 · April 18, 2006

Last year I covered my 8'x22' lasagna bed for tomatoes with black weed/landscape fabric in order to warm it. It did seem to help out and the tomatoes got off to a great start. This year I thought I would experiment a bit...yesterday I covered half of the bed with a sheet of clear plastic. The other side I will use black weed fabric and see how the two compare. I see from some of the university research that clear should warm to soil better....but does still allow weeds to grow.

I now just realized that I should have put down my soaker hoses before placing the plastic...got too excited I guess!

Anyone else using covers to warm beds?

tanagerzoo · April 18, 2006

I've had a sheet of clear plastic on the ground for the past 3 weeks or so. I'm surprised by the difference it makes--it is steaming hot under the plastic! And yes, the clear plastic allows me to see all the weed pulling I will have to do shortly!

Weeds plus a lot of volunteer tomatoes!

Christine

Earl · April 18, 2006

Clear plastic works. I didn't use any this year because we're having summer temps now, looks like no spring this year.

SelfSufficient1 · April 18, 2006

I read up on all this plastic and thought about it and then realized we were way too hot most of the time to need any warming of the soil

!

April 18, 2006	#1
Adenn1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Philly Posts: 559	Covered part of the bed with clear plastic... Last year I covered my 8'x22' lasagna bed for tomatoes with black weed/landscape fabric in order to warm it. It did seem to help out and the tomatoes got off to a great start. This year I thought I would experiment a bit...yesterday I covered half of the bed with a sheet of clear plastic. The other side I will use black weed fabric and see how the two compare. I see from some of the university research that clear should warm to soil better....but does still allow weeds to grow. I now just realized that I should have put down my soaker hoses before placing the plastic...got too excited I guess! Anyone else using covers to warm beds?

April 18, 2006	#4
SelfSufficient1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Georgia, USA Posts: 188	I read up on all this plastic and thought about it and then realized we were way too hot most of the time to need any warming of the soil ! __________________ I could spend all day here!

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April 18, 2006	#2
tanagerzoo Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Zone 7 Delaware Posts: 67	I've had a sheet of clear plastic on the ground for the past 3 weeks or so. I'm surprised by the difference it makes--it is steaming hot under the plastic! And yes, the clear plastic allows me to see all the weed pulling I will have to do shortly! Weeds plus a lot of volunteer tomatoes! Christine

April 18, 2006	#3
Earl Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: SW Ohio Posts: 1,278	Clear plastic works. I didn't use any this year because we're having summer temps now, looks like no spring this year.