I’ve just put down weed membrane to control some of the wilder weeds in my garden beds. After a few days the plants are starting to look a bit withered despite regular watering. On further investigation it seems the membrane is almost completely waterproof, almost hydrophobic in fact, water just beads up and runs off.
Is this normal?
Do I need to cut larger “rain holes” around the plants to allow them to catch more water? Or should I be cutting slits in the fabric at regular intervals to let rainwater through?
Thanks!
by seb101111
9 Comments
Rip the whole thing up. Idk why anyone uses this stuff. Its bad for the eco system and doesn’t even stop weeds. Ironically a just a layer of plain wood chip mulch works so much better.
It does but incredibly slowly, 5 inches of woodchip over the top will suppress the weeds, let water through, improve the soil and be great for insects
I’d imagine in this weather it will just keep the heat in the ground
That looks more like a geotextile than a weed membrane. I think those products are typically used as a separation layer between aggregates e.g. between hardcore and sand. They are slightly permeable and will work better between layers under patios for example. When used at the surface they aren’t permeable enough to let surface run-off through quick enough.
As others as said, I wouldn’t bother with it if putting down a thick layer of bark. You need a few inches of depth for bark to stop weeds coming through though. A thin layer won’t work.
I’d only use weed membrane under gravel when you don’t want it to get muddy when it rains.
Use cardboard to replace the membrane and then cover with mulch of choice- wood chips are good and will breakdown to improve your soil but anything of your choice will do . Also for a mulch to work it should be at least 10cm deep. A properly laid mulch can last for around 1yr to 18mths before requiring to be topped up and when deep enough any weeds that grow can be easily pulled out as the roots are in the loose mulch and not the soil.
Such awful stuff 😞 Should be banned.
More hassle than its worth that stuff
I have a monkey nut problem. I eat them everyday. Consequently I have an abundance of shells. I’ve been using them to mulch the paths in the veg garden for 18 years. In that time, I’ve pulled ONE weed. They really are fabulous weed suppressant. Anyone else use them I wonder? 🤔
That looks more like the waterproof material we have under the roofing tiles.