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Growing under black plastic?

FiveStar

FiveStar

So I've got a piece of a roll of black plastic from here at work, and was thinking about using it in my raised bed for peppers this year. I'm thinking just run a soaker hose under it, punch some holes, and plant just like they do here at the crop research station.

My raised bed is in full sun, so keeping it watered is always a problem, but it seems like this stuff may help reduce evaporation and keep the weeds down. I figured I could fertigate through my soaker hose with fish emulsion, seaweed emulsion, and crushed tums when they start putting on fruit.

Anyone tried this before? I know commercial farms do it all the time, and it sure seems to work for them.
 
Did this years and years ago with tomato plants. It worked fairly well, and I didn't even have a clue about using a soaker hose.

The only thing - I really like real rain water falling on the ground and weeds are not always that bad. JMO, but it sounds like you are taking the scenic way home. Commercial farms do it because it the reduced production is still more profitable than the labor to weed the plants.

Mike
 
wordwiz said:
Did this years and years ago with tomato plants. It worked fairly well, and I didn't even have a clue about using a soaker hose.

The only thing - I really like real rain water falling on the ground and weeds are not always that bad. JMO, but it sounds like you are taking the scenic way home. Commercial farms do it because it the reduced production is still more profitable than the labor to weed the plants.

Mike
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Ya know Mike... I think I missed the elephant in the room trying to convince myself black plastic was a good idea. My plants have always looked better after a good rain, and I think the black plastic would pretty much cut rain out of the equation.


I think this one is nixed for this year...
 
FiveStar said:
Ya know Mike... I think I missed the elephant in the room trying to convince myself black plastic was a good idea. My plants have always looked better after a good rain, and I think the black plastic would pretty much cut rain out of the equation.


I think this one is nixed for this year...
Click to expand...

I just use a couple inches of cedar mulch. Does both of the things you are looking for. The only problem is that it may be a bit expensive if you have a big garden. I have a 6'x6' raised bed and the rest are going to be in pots so I don't need all that much.
 
I tried it out in my garden last year and it was okay till summer came in hard and hot it seemed like I was watering them alot more than the other plants and plus my plants thats was planted thru the black plastic did not grow as well as the ones without. This year I sticking to the back breaking hoe and pulling weeds by hand. Thats my 1.5 cents
 
I suppose I may the lazy guy in the group....

I use black weed guard stapled to the garden and cut holes for the seedlings. I then snake a soaker hose on TOP of the cover and then as it gets hotter I add pine mulch. Weeds are absolutely notorious here in Florida gardens and weed guard is very helpful except in the smallest footprints where manual weeding can be done fairly quickly.

Just my 2 cents.

Bob

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I grow with black mulch over raised rows with med pressure
drip irrigation set up with a timer and fertilizer injector.
It works great. The weed pressure is tremendous here, I
believe the plastic is way better than weed killing chemicals.
The rain still gives the plants a boost the rain water migrates
through the soil and through the holes you cut for the transplants.
It does help retain moisture and as far as heat build up by the
time it gets extremely hot here the plants are big enough to
shade the plastic to keep the heat down. The key is irrigation!


ButchT
 
I was going to say something about black retaining the heat but ButchT already busted that. Shaded by the plants themselves.

I plant in pots and use a black mulch.
 
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