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So last year I got really despondent because my patch totally overgrew and I couldn't keep up with it. This year I am determined it won't happen again.

Have found a reasonable black plastic supplier and may try growing my potatoes through plastic to keep weeds down.

Has anyone done this? My main concern is watering - especially if we are going to have a dry spring/summer. How do you water things underneath the plastic? With enough manure at planting time, can you get away with not watering - or will I have to fiddle around with coke bottles and bits of hose to direct water?

Any experiences would be good to hear.

Thanks

Hi Bonnie,
July and August in South Carolina robs us gardeners of any desire to be outside. Unfortunately that's when all those weeds take off. So, here's what we are going to do with our raised beds in 2012.

* Mix a healthy dose of compost into the boxes.

* Use black plastic to cover the boxes.

* For plantings that are not densely populated (e.g. tomato plants) we will cut holes into the plastic and insert PVC cross sections...a minimum of 4" diameter. The PVC rings will be placed about 2" into the soil and rise up 2". For watering the plants, we'll just add the water to some level inside each ring( hose, drip irrigation, watering can, etc.). Rings will stop most of our cutworms. Rings will serve as a insertion point for additional compost and fertilizer.

That's the concept. I'm certain this will work potatoes.

For most dense plantings (e.g lettuce) I thought of running a length of guttering down the row in the box. It will be placed into a long slit cut into the plastic. It will serve as a collection for watering the plants.

From all this initial effort we hope to...

* reduce weedings to a minimum
* water plants more efficiently

Of course, we are always experimenting so I cannot really comment on the actual results until this fall.

Regards,
Chuck

I haven't done it before but wouldn't try it with potatoes. I think they are the best crop for suppressing weeds naturally by outgrowing them and also the earthing up process puts pay to many weeds.

Seems like a waste of money to me, paying for plastic that will only deteriorate in time. If you can mulch your spuds with organic material then it will improve the soil in time. Grass cuttings, if you have any spare, form a nice crust if sprinkled immediately, and stop weeds/keep moisture in.

I tried using plastic cover to clear some ground once. It was very strong and I got it for nothing but it still perished and was a nightmare to clear up and get rid of. Only use biodegradable materials now in growing. Although plastics are great for collecting water and pots but they last a lot longer.

I always find black plastic provides a great place for slugs to hide out near to plants