Weed Suppressant,which one?

Hi,ive been looking at weed suppressant fabric mainly for my lettuces at the allotment,im heavy handed with a hoe as i found out last yr on many occasion
Does it come in useful(make life easier) for other veg/salad growing ?
Also there are differant weights ..50,75,100 gram and differant fabrics so im unsure which would be suitable,all advice greatly appreciated,thanks x

 

I'd be inclined to go with the best you can possible afford.

I have tried the cheaper stuff and it is not worth it's weight (to be frank).

 

I was aiming for the 100g with Squares printed on it so i would plant up neater
The 50g looks similar to a fabric called colback that mat yarn is tufted with(stitched to) to make mats which i could get for free x

 

This is where I hope our Shy Knee adds to the a thread: @shiney has some pretty good stuff in his garden and I'm certain it isn't the cheapest on the market but it is robust looking. He'll be able to give you some sound(er) advice than I can

 

I would go for the 100gsm stuff....Mypex or Yuzet are the better makes
I brought some on Ebay a few weeks back, 50m x 1.5m for £37.00 inc delivery

 

Thanks Intel,i never thought of asking about which brands are also better

 

Mypex is the name of choice, however I recently bought some Zebel and it looks to be just as good (and cheaper).

Presuming that you are not covering the weed suppressing fabric (e.g. with bark or gravel, as you might do if it was under some permanent planting, such as shrubs) then I think it is important to get 100 gsm and UV stabilised. Either way "woven" is essential, otherwise it tears and frays very easily. TBH I would get 100 gsm anyway, but the UV bit could probably be skipped if it was covered from the sunlight.
I struggled to find genuine Mypex to get a price comparison, but for a 100M x 1M 100gsm it looks to be around £50-£60, whereas Zebel is on eBay for £40.95

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/121204993094
(I've bought a roll from them and looks exactly the same as the stuff I have been getting from my trade suppliers at £52.15 exc VAT and carriage!)

There is also Yuzet but my understanding is that is not UV stabilised (so needs to be covered - but if you are going to cover it then it is cheaper )

(I know covering it with bark/etc. is not the point on this occasion, just mentioning it for completeness - but on that tack! I don't cover mine, even under permanent planting, unless appearance is key, as weeds grow in the bark / gravel put on top - not as much as with no membrane down, but still enough to be a chore. I reckon I have of the order of 1 km of weed suppressing fabric under young hedges etc. here, and I started off with the cheapest non-woven and then woven covered in chips of somesort, and finally now just uncovered, UV protected - which I am having to retro-fit to the hedges where I skimped and which are now as full of weeds as if I had not put anything down at all :( )

 

Thank you shiney im off for a read up on the thread x

No kristen,its just for lettuces really,last yr i kept catching them with the hoe and aslo when we got heavy rain they got mud splattered so i thought this time i will try and keep them tidy with suppressant,thanks for the link i shall go look x

 

I brought Mypex a couple of months a ago, but from what I have read the 100g
Yuzet is the about the same quality.....which ever one you use if you want it to last then
the thicker 100g grade is the one to go for and more so on a allotment site etc.

Also if your buying from Ebay, have a look at the small print as some deliver with the
material folded (not on a roll) as it saves on postage

 

I don't think it is Yuzet, I think that is an inferior, or different, material - but its a bit hard to find out for sure - maybe I'll buy a 1M piece off eBay to check

Zebel is the one which I think is equivalent to Mypex (although there are other brand names too - the one my Horticultural Suppliers distributor sells is called something completely different - although it is good quality it has ghastly, to me!, bright orange lines on it!)

 

Im thinking i going to buy the zebel from the seller link you sent kristen but 2x50m size as the allotments not 100m long so i wont have to cut it up as much,not sure i need that much thou
What other veg will it be useful for? leek maybe or onions?

 

Pretty much all of them I would think ... but it would help if you grow the same year-in-year-out.

So if you grow, say, 50 Leeks then have a piece, suitably long, with appropriate holes, for your "50 leek patch". And so on

Good for Strawberries and any permanent things - like Currants, Gooseberries, Blackberries - but not Raspberries or Asparagus (they shoot all over the place!)

 

Thanks
I am planning on a lot of leeks again this yr kristen
Potatoes that darrans section shiney,i just sort and store them
Off to draw up a planting plan it is then