Question about weed killing plastic.

[seedcorn]

Black is better. Builds up heat and stops photosynthesis.

 

[catjac1975]

have the same problem in the pea/ melon bed. chickweed has taken over and has gone to seed..
does the color of the plastic matter black or clear?

Black will be better

 

[journey11]

LOL, I've been told clear is better. Traps more sunlight. Maybe google for a consensus on that...

 

[hoodat]

Black is definitely better. It blocks a lot of the sunlight and gets hotter underneath.

 

[ducks4you]

I put a used, plastic tablecloth on top to cover one of my raised beds last summer. I took it off this spring. I don't think it killed a single weed. I guess go dry.

 

[ducks4you]

I'll tell you what Does work--rubber mats. If somebody has some old exercise mats that they don't want anymore--the kind that weigh nothing and jigsaw puzzle together--you'll kill anything underneath them. I'm not sure that the plastic really works to kill anything.

 

[journey11]

I'll tell you what Does work--rubber mats. If somebody has some old exercise mats that they don't want anymore--the kind that weigh nothing and jigsaw puzzle together--you'll kill anything underneath them. I'm not sure that the plastic really works to kill anything.

My husband got some scrapped pieces of rubber coal conveyor belt free from the plant. I drag a couple of those around to kill weeds. They get really hot when the sun shines on them and they're heavy.

 

[majorcatfish]

now here is a hypothetical question . since the summer is on it's way out and fall is around the corner. yes we have 70's till about mid October and would like to kill off chickweed before next year.

just the gears rolling in the head.... would it not be better to use clear plastic so the seeds do germinate, once they do remove the plastic and spray them, once dead till the soil and cover it back so any seeds buried in the soil will germinate and repeat as needed.?

what do you think?

this is what i am dealing with......... the chickweed has gotten out of hand this summer

 

[ducks4you]

I used cardboard worked great although old lady across complained about looks.

http://modernfarmer.com/2016/05/sheet-mulching/?mc_cid=605535b8ce&mc_eid=1daefd39c6

 

[ducks4you]

Pull the chickweed now, pull up what you missed in the Fall and pull anything left in the Spring. They lay down masses of seeds and THAT is what you want to interrupt.