Weedmat Questions

calista, Sep 19, 2:37am
I am going to be putting weedmat in my garden. I have never used it before. Does it come come in different grades? Who sell the most robust?

I'm willing to initially pay a bit more if it means I can leave it a bit longer before I have to renew it.

Thanks for any help on this.
harrislucinda, Sep 19, 3:09am
are you able to spray first as over time it will break down and weeds will pop up as i lined my strawberry patch one year It was just what i brought so could be different grades
calista, Sep 19, 6:25am
Thanks bobcat, I can do that.
pisces47, Sep 19, 8:35am
You can get cheap woven cloth that lets the soil aerate and let the rain through and also lets weeds grow in the weaves. Of course the better product is much closer woven and heavier and does a better job. Also what are you putting on top, bark, scoria. Bark breaks down so the weeds grow good. Best is stones or scoria.
pauline999, Sep 19, 11:37am
I put thick layers of newspaper under the weedmat - after it has been wet with the hose it dries sort of like egg cartons and helps stop the weeds coming through the weedmat.
finelawns, Sep 19, 12:33pm
weed mat is so great it doesn't allow your plants to grow nice and healthy.
I doubt you would find weed mat within a gardeners garden stuff is a curse
calista, Sep 19, 1:18pm
Possibly not finelawns. I am not aiming at Better Homes and Gardens, but I want something that is reasonably tidy and easy to maintain as I don't have the money to hire a gardener, or the muscular strength to garden as I have done in the past.

Thanks for your unhelpful comment.
mrsvonflik, Sep 20, 12:29am
I was told by a gardener friend to use old wool carpet.It has been down for a year.I put bark on top.It working in stopping weeds but when it rains smells like wet wool until it dries out.
calista, Sep 20, 4:51am
I have heard of that Mrs von Flick - unfortunately all my old carpet is still on the floors.
jan2242, Sep 20, 4:52am
You still get weeds from air borne seeds and what birds drop out. It isn't totally maintenance free. Layers of newspaper will do the job just as well and won't cost.
pisces47, Sep 21, 3:14am
Just a little change from the wool carpet suggestion. Most are now synthetic etc so not wool as such. Have put this down several times in different locations and works good. If you live near a carpet laying firm or similar then that is a place where you can help yourself to the old carpet. They then dont have to pay to dispose at dump. Just need tailer and manpower
tourer100, Sep 21, 11:07am
Weed at is horrible, if you ever want to rip it up years later, it’s such hard work, all the weeds and dirt that ends up on top make it hard work to pull up again, don’t do it. Our place was covered in the stuff, yuk