Weed

[farmin68]

Black plastic is great. I would definitely go with the 4 ft. wide over the 3 ft.

Fishboy mentioned visqueen. If you're talking about clear plastic, I predict at least near disaster. The only time clear is used is to warm the soil to start crops earlier. Vegetable growers in Ohio and PA use it on sweet corn to get a two week head start. The other time it is used is for soil solarization...a pre-plant weed eradication method which kills weeds and seeds (roots too) with the heat generated under the plastic.

Using clear plastic I think you'll encourage weed growth in early spring and then later when it warms up will be killing plants - good and bad, roots and all.

Are you sure the clear heats up that much?

Yes. I don't completely understand it and haven't tried but I know it would be a disaster for gardening where black wouldn't be.

 

[catman529]

Hmm that's interesting, I guess it works differently on the ground than it does on a balloon full of air.

speaking of which, here's one of mine

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9XiYNZJPtY

 

[farmin68]

Hmm that's interesting, I guess it works differently on the ground than it does on a balloon full of air.

That's what I was thinking. And it may partly have to do with the sun's rays passing through the plastic and directly heating the ground.