Making use of old carpet

[patandchickens]

Yup, old carpet is great for that sort of thing. I would haul more of it home except the kids in the backseat tend to object to someone's skanky old rained-on curbside carpet flopping over the backseat onto their heads when we're driving

When using it over grass, I find it a very good idea to scalp the grass at least once (ideally a couple times, at weekly intervals) before putting the carpet down -- that seems to *greatly* cut down on its growing up into the carpet.

Voles can set up shop underneath it, too. I don't worry about that though as we have SO many voles, what's another six or twenty

Pat

 

[ducks4you]

You guys come up with the BEST ideas!! We're gonna have the BEST gardening year, EVER in 2010!!!!! :bun

 

[lesa]

Just snagged another room size rug- off to the blueberry patch!

 

[Beekissed]

Hattie, thanks for the info! That makes me feel better, as there were a few old fellas around here who said that the carpet would eventually rot and then I would have problems.

It takes a loooooong time for carpet to break down and rot. I probably won't even be here if or when that happens....

What's better, I ask you? Carpet that will slowly break down over time or plastic that shreds and slips through the gravel?

 

[hoodat]

You must have been talking to old men.
At one time carpet was made of natural materials. A hemp backing with wool or cotton woven onto it, or in the case of higher quality carpet, done on a loom with no backing, like Navajo rugs. Those rugs would indeed rot down and actually be incorporated into the soil.
Newer rugs are made almost entirely of synthetic materials which won't rot although the sun will eventually do them in. They have to be removed when they deteriorate or they will be there for years.

 

[Beekissed]

I would be mildly worried about the leaching of those chemicals into my garden soil. I've read some pretty frightening things about the chemicals that go into carpets and their backing.

I've found that white clover makes for great permanent pathways in between garden rows as it doesn't get very high and really chokes out most weeds. Also works well to fix nitrogen in the soil and keeps moisture in the soil as well.