There are many products available depending on what you are trying to achieve. I favor the biodegradable fabrics and papers, of which there are several, to plastic ones, but durability must be a part of the equation for most people, so plastics remain popular. You can find it in rolls in the gardening section at most big box hardware stores and garden centers, I like FEDCO because they're an independent Maine co-op that tries to keep prices low and focuses on ecologically responsible products. You can, however occasionally find a good buy at fabric remnant stores, and carpeting stores often have rolls of old carpet or underlayment that has been removed when new is installed that they will gladly give you. Carpeting is not always ideal - it may be treated with flame retardant, rubberized, or peed on - but for serious weed suppression it is very effective and affordable. Just be sure to remove it, or any plastic, before it begins to break down. Also, many of the big box stores have rolls available at reduced prices in fall and winter; for people with large areas to cover and a little storage space, it makes sense to stock up. Larger agricultural suppliers actually offer rolls as wide as 40', which makes covering large areas much easier (with a few extra bodies to help) and reduces the number of pins needed to hold it in place. In addition to weed suppression fabrics help to conserve moisture and wrm the soil. In some cases, you may need to add a light colored mulch on top of the fabric for crops that prefer a cooler environment, and for aesthetic reasons you may want to top it with a more natural looking mulch as well, With plastic-based mulches, covering has the added benefit of educing he damage done by the suns' UV rays, thus prolonging its useful life. Aside from looks and the whole plastic problem, fabric ground covers can also be a haven for unwanted guests - snakes (which I actually welcome, though many gardeners don't) and rodents in particular. Here is a link that might be useful: Garden fabric

I have dill, roma tomatoes, corriander (cilantro), some squash, looking for a good home -- so if you are interested, send me a SASE. Ianna

The plant is poisonous if ingested, so your veggies are fine. I have a small child at home - how can I best remove and destroy this plant? if it is quite big, just trim it down and dig it out if possible and discard in a trash bag, or somewhere where the small child will not get into it. I would probably trim off the prickly balls (seed pods) first and put them in a bag for discarding, to be sure none drop that could then sprout next year. I was going to refer you to the Vegetable Forum, but see you have found it and have numerous good replies there. Sue

The white squiggly lines are caused by the leaf miner, they burrow through leaves. Systemic insecticide is the best treatment but they're frowned on now-a-days. You could just pull off the affected leaves depending on how serious the infestation is. As for the rest, well, sub-tropic and tropic gardens are simply awash with bugs this time of years, I try to get all my vegies under way in winter and mostly harvested before the bugs - I'm currently awash with tomatoes I planted as seeds in trays in May. Also, as you are new to all this I'd suggest you invest in a good garden book, Yates Garden Guide is a very good beginning. B. PS. As for your beetroot, I've never found that easy, however a trace of Boron in the soil before planting helps. You might also consider getting your ph tested, most vegies prefer a slightly alkaline soil.