Black Plastic Sheeting Under Gravel

Plastic sheeting for weed control offers the advantage of being impermeable.

Black plastic sheeting under gravel. This causes root rot if you have plantings in the area covered by the plastic. The plastic was laid down about 20 years ago and from the looks of it bushes were planted right on top. The dense plastic keeps weeds down effectively but stops air movement as well as water. Lay heavy duty black polythene plastic sheeting on the ground and weight it down leave for 2 3 months in summer or six months in winter lift the plastic remove slugs and dig up perennial weeds dig over the soil and prepare it for planting.

It s such a nuisance. It also helps warm the soil for early planting. I think i d rather have just weeds to pull. The black plastic retains heat causing the temperature of the soil under it to become a few degrees warmer than usual so plants may dry out more quickly than expected.

Putting a tarp or some other form of heavy plastic sheeting under the gravel instead of landscape fabric can be an appealing alternative in some cases. Black plastic landscaping fabrics come in many guises but those that are at least 4 feet wide and at least 1 1 5 millimeters thick are the most commonly used. It may be less costly than high end fabric. 4 6 out of 5 stars based on 14 reviews 14 ratings.

Current price 20 96 20. It s generally more difficult for weed roots to penetrate plastic than fabric. Product title husky 4 mil black plastic sheeting 3 x 50 average rating. Black sheeting commonly used in landscaping and commercial vegetable production deprives weeds of light as well as moisture.

Plain black plastic helps the soil retain moisture. I have root systems from butterfly bushes lilacs blackberries roses and evergreens all growing across the sheeting under all the weeds that have grown anyway. Bear in mind that if you plan to use the plastic for several years or bury it under mulch gravel or a layer of soil thicker plastic will last longer.