Black plastic magic

As usual I've been struggling to keep up with allotment preparation this spring, so about a month ago, rather than allow a bed to become infested with big weeds with big roots that need a lot of digging out plus all the seeds they were going to drop, I decided to cover one bed with black plastic. You know how fast weeds grow in May, 3 " tall one week, 3' tall the next. I figured at least I wouldn't have to look at them until I was good and ready.

This week I peeled off the plastic ready for clearing. I was delighted to find that absolutely nothing was left, except some very peely-wally dandelions and bindweed, which were easier to remove than usual, being so obvious. All the annual grasses that were getting a foothold were as dead as a doornail. I was afraid that it was going to be very dry - our allotment can be like dust even in May - but it was wonderfully moist.

Apart from the sad remains of the perennial weeds, about all it needed was a bit of a raking over. I reckon the heat from the sun through the black plastic cooked the weeds and with a bit of luck will have cooked a lot of weed seeds as well.

I definitely will be trying that again.

 

Curious to know if it was woven weed suppressing fabric (lets the rain though) or solid plastic sheet?

Side benefit, being black, is that it will have heated the soil ... so what you plant now will have the benefit of some extra kick-start soil warmth

 

Bog standard heavy black plastic sheeting from the local plastics supplier. I have the beds in long strips with beaten paths in between covered in strips of old carpet. Not beautiful but it works. The sheet was tucked under the carpet at the edges so the effect would be similar to wearing your waterproof overtrousers tucked into your boots.