Weed control sheets - what's best?

I am planning a revamp on my small front yard, which is mostly gravel on the garden side with a small bed, and dry laid slabs on the drive side. The weeds have had a monopoly out there for a long time as I've struggled with injury and poor health, but now I'm getting back up to speed it's time for them to go and not come back (well, as much as weeds can ever be prevented anyway)!

I'm going to lift all the gravel that makes up the biggest part of the garden (something like a 10ft x 8ft patch of it), de-weed it, relevel the soil underneath and put something down to block the weeds, then lay the gravel back on top. There was plastic sheeting laid down by the last people who lived here but probably 8yrs on from when it was laid, there isn't much left of it!

As I've never actually done a project like this, can anyone tell me what the best stuff is to use these days?

 

Most garden centres sell it off the roll, varying names for it, think terram is one.

Basically you want a woven geotextile, lets the water thru but stops weeds coming up

 

You will always get some weeds even so unfortunately, some are so strong they force themselves through the membrane and then there are the seeds that birds drop, weeds are just an ongoing problem for gardeners.

Val

 

I'd say 'go for it'! Once I'd got my second border under way, I invested in three enormous rolls of woven green geotextile which I used to cover subsequent planted areas and to cover any areas awaiting projects. Apart from the lack of self-sown seedlings of desirable plants, it's been 100% successful.

 

If the area is not planted (i.e. a path or similar) I would use a barrier membrane like Terram (or a different brand that is equivalent). That is a soil membrane but has drainage holes; it is intended to last for ages and is strong (unlike regular plastic sheet).

If it is under plants I would use a woven weed suppressing membrane such as Mypex. That won't tear, nor run (much!) when you cut X-slits for the plants, and it allows water to flow through it very readily. You can put gravel / Bark whatever on the top.