Black plastic mulch-Get the right kind.
For the last few years I have been buying my black plastic mulch from the big box stores. I usually buy the 3′x50′ 6 mil roll and then would drape them across the rows. This has worked well for water retention and weed control. I am a big fan of black plastic for your mulch. For more information on mulching, read my recent post.
This year I am trying a new black plastic mulch that I got from PineTree Gardens. I was skeptical because it was such a thin mil. However, I saw the same mil thickness in all the gardening magazines so I figured they knew something I didn’t. Well, I believe they did. I just received the plastic today and while thin, it is highly durable and stretchable. I also believe that the thinner mil will moderate the soil temperature better producing better yields.
I am also really excited about the 4ft width instead of 3ft. We always have weeds in the pathways between rows since the plastic doesn’t cover this. Now I shouldn’t have that problem.
In summary, I would recommend the new way I am trying. I believe I will be very happy with this new black plastic mulch. It was also pretty cheap, .15 cents a foot. You can also try some of the other new plastics like the SRM red plastic for your tomatoes. I have yet to try it, but they say you get a 20% better yield than black plastic because the sun reflects the red into the plant which somehow makes it produce better. One of these years I will spend the extra money and try it, but for now I am happy with my yields for the money.
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Plastic mulch is definitely the way to go for veggie gardens. I’ve used a thicker and thinner type–the thinner is easier to work with, and you don’t actually have to cut in holes to plant a plant, just dig in the trowel. Still seems to hold up well.