skip to main content

Gardening in Oz

weed matting and watering

21 years ago

Hello,

'Rally' weed-matting, this seems to be the brand commonly available in hard-ware stores, has recently been put down around some plants and topped with mulch but I've noticed it doesn't seem to let rain or other applied water through. Is this usually the case?

I am thinking of putting some holes in it but would like to know what other peoples experiences have been first.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (6)

User
21 years ago
"Weed mat, is it worth it?" was a posting by Ashmeri on this forum a short while ago (a few pages back). The general consensus seemed to be that no one was terribly impressed and many had pulled weed mat up. Some because of the watering problem, and others because you still get weeds. It might pay to have a quick read yourself.
Cheers,
Dee.
moksha
Original Author
21 years ago
Thanks Dee,

I have read that thread before but not before I put the matting down unfortunately, so I'm not ready to pull it up just yet! ; )

The matting is weaved and there are very fine holes but water doesn't seem to go through it.
Related Discussions
Question About Weed Mat to get rid of Lawn
Q
Comments (1)
Many years ago in the GW soil forum there was a long discussion about the use of plastic in the garden. The general consensus was that there was never a good time to use plastics. The closest use that generated any positive opinion was solarization where the plastic is removed after the underlying stuff is killed. Your instincts about that plastic are correct. It will not stop anything. All it will do is cause a huge headache for you or the next people. Most weeds and grasses can be smothered. Solarizing might work as a start. That involves wetting the grass and soil and covering it with clear or black plastic and sealing the edges from air infiltration. Do that for a month of very sunny days. Hot sunny days are better because they tend to help with the heating. Pull it away when you think the underlying weeds are dead. After that most of the plants underneath should be rotting away. As a further precaution you can continue to smother anything alive with sand and mulch. Most people start with a product like RoundUp to renovate. Spray that once, water daily to sprout all the weed seeds, wait a week, repeat the spray to kill the new weeds, wait another week, and you should be good to go.
...See More
Weed Mat, is it worth it ?
Q
Comments (15)
For our non woven fabric, it is widely used as landscape fabric, weed control fabric, plant cover, frost cover,garden fleece, mulch fleece etc. it has following characteristic: 1)Can Provide better ventilation and water permeability to conserve moisture and nutrient. 2)Use it as a surface mulch in the green house, as pathways in the vegetable garden. 3)Used on a vegetable bed prior to planting it will warm the soild and conserve moisture. 4)Used as a subsurface mulch, it can be covered with soil, bark or gravel for permanent weed control. 5)It can be laid underpaving slabs to prevent weeds growing throught the cracks. 6)It can protect frost, wind and pest, can be treated by UV for long life and reusable. these specifications are used widely in gardening area: 45 or 50gsm, 1.5*8m, black, shrink package with color label 2) 30gsm, 2*5m, 1*10m, 1.5*10m, white, beige, green, each piece is put in plastic bag with color label. 3) 50gsm,3??*50??,3??*100??black, packed in mini rolls with shrink package. 4) 17gsm, 1.5*8m, white, shrink package with color label In fact, we can make all kinds of specifications according to our customers?? demand. For more details, please check our website: http://yuanfan.en.alibaba.com If there is any interest to you, please feel free to contact with me. Best regards Kitty MSN:langhua20082008@yahoo.com.cn SKYPE: kitty20082008
...See More
Weed mat and Pig weed ( pic)
Q
Comments (1)
Goodness Marion it is quite the ground cover isnt it. Iam glad you put a pic up as I had no idea what it was either. But about that weed mat as everyone says it is kind of useless as the dust and dirt gets on it then up come the weeds. I have this discusting purple clover that is getting to be a ground cover on my road base driveway all the spraying is not killing it. So its back to pulling it up by hand I am begining to think that the more you spray the more it grows I think I will have to try boiling water for a while and see if that works....MM
...See More
Weed mat metal staples. Any problems?
Q
Comments (28)
Yes, I think it's just coincidence that I've found them in the dog food and flour bin. I do think, though, that they ate all the glue from an old side table in that living room, which is now mostly dismantled, both front legs collapsed on the floor, all the table skirtings fallen on the floor, a glass lamp that is supposed to go to my brother almost sliding down the slope. Speaking of old things, this is a wonderful time to bring up that I touched Jimi Hendrix fifty years ago yesterday in a stairwell off the Lewiston Armory stage---just me, Gretchen Allen, and the band. My brother would have killed me if that lamp had gotten broken. Admission: $3
...See More
ginnybee
21 years ago
I am one of the people who pulled it up as it really is a pain(sorry) the weed seeds grow on top of it & couch seems to go through it as to watering with it I found when we pulled it out it was rather dry under it, the other problem you need to consider is if you plant larger growing plants the mat can strangle the trunk as it doesn't open as the trunk expands so you will have to watch that if you plan to leave itgood luck with it.
Jan.
User
21 years ago
All weed mat is a woven fabric and is *supposed* to let water through, but unfortunately this doesn't seem to be the case. I re-used some of my weedmat under a pathway of decomposed granite, because it doesn't need the water. So if you do decide to pull it up, keep it because you may find a use for it later. Good luck
Cheers,
Dee.
Robert_NSW
21 years ago
I sometimes use weed mat where I have troublesome weeds. It is great for stuff like Oxalis that needs to be really smothered. In this case I put up with weed mat and cut a few strategic holes to water the plants. A year or so later I lift it and the problem weeds are controlled.

I never use it in normal situations. Lots of newspaper is great but you still have to leave spots for the water to get through.
lisalwang_aol_com
18 years ago
We have oxalis growing through about 3" of compacted decomposed granite without stabilizer and without weed mat. Does anyone have a recommendation on what to do if we redo it? Will weed mat keep the oxalis from coming back?

Related Stories

EDIBLE GARDENS Natural Ways to Get Rid of Weeds in Your Garden

By Abundant City

Use these techniques to help prevent the spread of weeds and to learn about your soil

GRASSES Versatile Breeze Mat Rush Sails Into Drought-Tolerant Yards

By Dig Your Garden Landscape Design

Grassy Lomandra longifolia thrives year-round in shady and sunny gardens, in containers and in the ground

GARDENING GUIDES Put Out the Welcome Mat for Leafcutter Bees in Your Garden

By Pollination Press LLC

Provide a diversity of flowering plants from spring through fall for these charismatic native bees, and you won’t be disappointed

GARDENING GUIDES 5 Ways to Naturally Win the Weed War

By Jocelyn H. Chilvers

Show irksome weeds no mercy with these tricks for combating them sans chemicals

FLOWERS Great Design Plant: Joe Pye Weed

By Becky Harris

This unsung beauty tolerates wet soil, provides beautiful late summer blooms and attracts butterflies and hummingbirds

GARDENING GUIDES 5 Weed-Smothering Ground Covers

Let these landscape plants do the dirty work of choking out weeds while you sit back and enjoy the view

GARDENING GUIDES Weed War: When and How to Use Chemical Herbicides

By Jocelyn H. Chilvers

Before you spray, arm yourself with knowledge about which weed killers — natural or synthetic — are right for your yard

GARDENING GUIDES Great Design Plant: Bugle Weed, a Quick Ground Cover

It’s highly adaptable, suppresses weeds, reduces erosion and provide weeks of bright flowers. Just watch for invasiveness

GARDENING GUIDES Tackle Weeds the Natural Way

By Jocelyn H. Chilvers

Instead of dousing your yard with chemicals to wipe out weeds, let time and nature work their magic via smothering and solarization

GARDENING GUIDES Let's Weed Out 4 Native Plant Myths

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

Plant wisely for a garden that supports pollinators and requires less work

Sponsored

Peabody Landscape Group

8 Reviews

Columbus' Reliable Landscape Design & Contracting