Month: April 2020

In many parts of the world, the ground is hardly ever bare. Where there is a dusty or muddy furrow (depending on the climate), not long before, it was probably covered with dandelions and honeysuckle. It takes constant maintenance, equipment and effort to keep everything weed free.

By definition, ground cover does not necessarily provide an immediate solution to the need for protecting the soil. Technically speaking, ground cover includes grass, gravel, mulch and quite a variety of plants. Any of these solutions is better than weeds, but they each one satisfies a different need.

Reduce the growth of weeds with ground cover fabric MALAHIERBA.

An ideal ground cover for soil in your garden should have the following characteristics:

– It should be easy to maintain and it shouldn’t need to be replaced or moved often
– It should reduce or eliminate the growth of weeds
– It should keep the soil in its place in every season
– It shouldn’t stop the growth of desired plants
– It should look good

When you pick a living ground cover, you should consider these characteristics:

– It should be sufficiently resistant to extreme weather
– It should grow quickly so that it covers the desired area
– It shouldn’t take over where it is not wanted

Save hours of labor and money spent on herbicides! You’ll get a higher yield and better production when you use ground cover. 

Even if you aren’t worried about how attractive it is, no ground cover satisfies all the necessities. We’ll take a look at some of the pros and cons of some solutions.

Grass

Don’t laugh. It can save you a lot of headaches. If you pick the right grass for your climate, it will be easy to maintain with tools you already have. It reproduces easily and reduces the growth of weeds.

Gravel or mulch

Consider the possibility of uniting these two components in a single category since they have a lot in common. For example, both have to be moved and put in. Both do the best job at reducing weeds when they are placed over gardening fabric. In contrast with live ground cover, which requires nutrition and time to grow, gravel looks good and works as weed control from the day it’s placed.

Gravel as well as mulch requires maintenance and periodic renewal since they may fade in color or mix with the soil beneath. Gravel is more expensive than its equivalent volume of mulch, but it doesn’t decompose. For this reason you should only use gravel where you plan to keep using gravel in the foreseeable future.

Weed barrier fabric prevents the growth of weeds indefinitely. 

Of course, gravel and mulch are not ground covers that will prevent the growth of weeds forever even when they are combined with lining or gardening fabric. Sooner or later, the wind or rain will deposit enough organic material over them to provide a place for weed seeds to sprout. 

On the other hand, weeds that grow over weed barrier fabric are generally easier to pull up. In general, when gravel is used with weed barrier fabric, the maintenance is extremely low and this ground cover is easy and quick to install.

Conclusion

There are no set-in-stone, quick rules to follow for making a decision about ground covers. Don’t expect everything you try to turn out well. Take your time; try different options a little at a time to see what works for you. Avoid short cuts and quick experiments that you will regret later. Above all, remember that you will be the one who is happy when your ground cover works as it should. 

We wish you the best of luck!

Use fabric to create a barrier around garden areas to control weeds

Weeds, whether grasses or broadleaf plants, prevalent where there isn’t good weed control, are undesired plants, especially in greenhouses or hydroponic gardens. Weeds are characterized by being drought resistant pests. These plants can tolerate going several months without rain water and survive with only the humidity they find in the subsoil.

n this image, we can see weed barrier fabric over the irrigation furrow for fruit trees.

WHAT ARE THE MOST POPULAR METHODS TO GET RID OF WEEDS?

Weeds are so resistant that many farmers and gardeners use herbicides to eliminate these bothersome plants. Herbicides totally eliminate the weeds and leave only the desired plants. This method is risky for the environment, though, since it can harm other native plants near the garden or farm. On the other hand, it’s important to control weeds because they take nutrients needed by the main crop as well as competing for water. 

Weeds can be eliminated in a less aggressive, cheaper way with this weed control method: weed barrier fabric. It is a plastic fabric made from a petroleum product. Weed barrier cloth is put on the ground like a carpet over the earth and it keeps the sun’s rays from reaching weed seedlings. Since the weeds can complete photosynthesis, they die.

Herbicides are popular among farmers and gardeners as a way to completely eradicate weeds.

Weed barrier fabric is cheap and long-lasting. It can hold up over several crop cycles because it is made from polypropylene, a super resistant material. As previously mentioned, this fabric is put down like carpet and then holes are made in the places where desired plants will be planted and grow.

The diameter of the holes can be different sizes. This depends on the thickness of the stems of the plants that will be raised.

When you don’t use weed barrier fabric, weeds compete with crops for sunlight and nutrition. 

HOW TO USE WEED BARRIER FABRIC WITH OTHER AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS

Weed barrier fabric, or as it is commonly called, groundcover, can be used with other types of agricultural products like frost blankets. It can also be used with vegetable support netting to improve vegetable and fruit production or with shade cloth so that crops like lettuce don’t get too much sunlight.

In this image, we see powerful weed barrier fabric. It makes it so that undesired plants can´t grow. 

Hortomallas is a world leading company in the manufacture of plastic agricultural netting. One of their most outstanding products is vegetable support netting. Vegetable support netting is used for crops that need trellising like cucumbers, pumpkins, and many varieties of peppers. Without trellis netting, the aforementioned crops would grow on the ground, harming their fruits and reducing their production value. 

Weed barrier cloth belongs the family of plastic agricultural netting. If you would like to get more information about weed barrier fabric, click on the following link for Hortomallas.com and stop buying expensive herbicides that hurt your health and the environment.

Vegetable support netting is Hortomallas star product.

Weed barrier fabric is a more ecological way to eliminate plants that compete with crops for sunlight and nutrients.