Ground cover for garden

[Fred]

What's the best ground cover for a weed free garden?

I've got fed up growing veg in the ground and spending most of my time weeding, I've tried beds before but the bits in between took me ages to go around with the strimmer. So this year I'm having a go at some container growing, I've put my containers on a Tarp for this year just to give it a try but I don't think it's the best solution.

So I'm thinking of getting the black breathable stuff we had in the pollytunnel, it worked fine in there but I'm trying to work out what is best to cover it with? The cheaper the better, I'm not to worried to much about looks but something that lasts and stops the weeds growing on top of the black stuff whilst also making it ok for walking on.

Suggestions ?

[Admiral]

If I were you Fred, I would stick with beds for veg - whether raised or just bordered off from the rest of the garden.  The bits in-between then just need a good shot of weedkiller every month or so during the growing season to provide a solid walkway. None of that strimming lark.  It's what our French neighbours do and seems to work really well.

Breathable membrane is a good idea but it must be the real deal breathable stuff.  Get it from England - it's cheaper.

We have loads of it down in the garden and were going to cover with wood chip until I realised it eventually rotted down leaving a rather unpleasant mulch on top of the membrane.  So we went for the gravel option and I must say over the years it has worked very well.

You will still get wind blown weeds happily growing in the gravel but these are easily removed by hand or a quick squirt of weedklller.  Or employ a young, slim-hipped girl called Nicole to do the work for you.

The gravel came from the Irribarron (spelling ?) quarry on the road between Lathus and Montmorillon.  The gravel starts at between €10 to €15 a tonne.  I made the mistake of taking Madame Admiral with me (never do this) and she chose the most expensive bits of stone in the shop.

By-the-by, set aside an entire morning if you're thinking of going to this quarry.  You can happily wander around but finding a bloke to serve you with your desired gravel is a mysterious art-form that takes considerable time and patience.

Bonne chance.

PS: Don't go to the giant quarry on the way to L'Isle Jourdain.  Public access was banned a few years ago after wandering would-be purchasers found themselves engulfed under several tonnes of assorted stones, mud & etc.

[Fred]

No I got fed up with beds and I'm finding it difficult to move around sometime these days, the last ones I had I worked it out perfectly so I could reach across. But some day's I couldn't reach and had to go around the other side, and the gaps in-between just weren't big enough. I could work out the sizes properly again, but I'm liking the ease of bunging stuff in a pot.

Oh and I don't use Weedkiller  

This is my test run.


If it's successful I will make a larger area next year, yes I will be getting my breathable matting from https://www.firsttunnels.co.uk I need a new cover for the pollytunnel when I get around to moving it so will order it then.

Thanks for the tip about the wood chip I did wonder if that could be a problem, I'll have to look into the gravel do you know what area a tonne would cover?

[Brian]

Admiral - do you happen to know if Iribarren (sp?) deliver quantities as small as a tonne or two?
Brian

[Admiral]

Fred,

From memory a tonne covers about 3m squared but my memory is getting fuzzy and it's also going to depend on how thickly you want to cover the membrane.     sorry - message from the department of the bleedin' obvious.

Brian - the short and simple answer to you query is: NO, they don't.

Last time I knew of anyone looking into this - about a year ago - they were quoted a minimum of 20 (twenty) tonnes for delivery.  Plus delivery charges of course.  And you have to ring their head office in Usson   as none of the quarries round here have telephones or people who know how to use them.  Sorry...went off on one there...

If you don't have a trailer - which we don't - just find someone with one and bribe them with beer and stuff.

Pip pip

[Fred]

Fred,

From memory a tonne covers about 3m squared but my memory is getting fuzzy and it's also going to depend on how thickly you want to cover the membrane.     sorry - message from the department of the bleedin' obvious.

Not sure if that helps, so if I want it say around 10cm depth I would need one tonne plus a couple of wheelbarrows full or a few decent size buckets.  

Thanks anyway, I better go and get some more black coffee before trying to work it out.  

[Admiral]

Blimey.

It all comes down to commonsense and a bit of guess work.

If you ain't got enough first time around go back and get some more.

Simples innit?

[Fred]

Blimey.

It all comes down to commonsense and a bit of guess work.

If you ain't got enough first time around go back and get some more.

Simples innit?

And if I have too much, then what.

[Admiral]

And if I have too much, then what.

I'll have it for some bald patches in the garden that need topping up.

You deliver of course.