Any thoughts or experience on plastic mulching for guerilla?

baduy · Feb 2, 2018

Hi everyone
Tittle says it all
I never tried this because of concerns about fungal growth underneath and I realize that of all the growers I know nobody has done the experiment either but I have a very dry and sunny spot in a place where watering is a complicated task. what about putting a plastic sheet (with micro holes I assume) over the roots area at the start of dry season then cover it with a thick layer of straw, wood chips or dead leaves to avoid overheating the soil then take it off before the first autumn rains?
Would this allow me to save on waterings or would it just kill my plants in a week?

Easy7 · Feb 2, 2018

Just more trash to leave behind and look bad. Usually people do that as a weed barrier. Weeds still break thru.

Soil also needs to breathe. A cover crop such as clover will be dense and keep light off the soil. Stays cooler and moist. Straw if you want to haul that in or mulch, also works.

I am a more basic theory person. Getting more out of less work and investment. Not that there isn't a standard.

Leaf mulch also is great.

MJPassion · Feb 2, 2018

Mulch DEEP with what’s in the area. (not less than 6in deep)

It’ll look more natural be less attractive to local critters that want nesting materials.

bilko · Feb 2, 2018

TychoMonolyth · Feb 5, 2018

baduy said:
Hi everyone
Tittle says it all
I never tried this because of concerns about fungal growth underneath and I realize that of all the growers I know nobody has done the experiment either but I have a very dry and sunny spot in a place where watering is a complicated task. what about putting a plastic sheet (with micro holes I assume) over the roots area at the start of dry season then cover it with a thick layer of straw, wood chips or dead leaves to avoid overheating the soil then take it off before the first autumn rains?
Would this allow me to save on waterings or would it just kill my plants in a week?

You'll cook your roots if you do that. If it was a cool climate, and you wanted to warm the soil for your plant, then ya. Good idea.

Bring a little hand garden rake with you, or just use your hands, and scrape up some ground mulch and use that. Don't be shy, use 12 inches if you can.

baduy · Feb 7, 2018

Thanks all for the answers.
Actually I always use a very thick mulch. The thing is one year I used some big flat stones which were around, covered the roots area with and used strawmulch on top of it and it really helped to prevent water evaporation, much better than a simple mulching. Now I have this very dry and sunny spot but no flat stones here just boulders so I was thinking maybe a thick mulch would prevent the plastic from heating too much but was reluctant to give it a try. There is a reason why I never tried it yet :biggrin:

never needed it to heaten the soil either as it's already warm enough at planting time in my climate zone
But when I read about some of the super weird experiments some have done here I would have thought someone would have tried :biggrin:

TychoMonolyth · Feb 7, 2018

baduy said:
Thanks all for the answers.
Actually I always use a very thick mulch. The thing is one year I used some big flat stones which were around, covered the roots area with and used strawmulch on top of it and it really helped to prevent water evaporation, much better than a simple mulching. Now I have this very dry and sunny spot but no flat stones here just boulders so I was thinking maybe a thick mulch would prevent the plastic from heating too much but was reluctant to give it a try. There is a reason why I never tried it yet never needed it to heaten the soil either as it's already warm enough at planting time in my climate zone
But when I read about some of the super weird experiments some have done here I would have thought someone would have tried

Use water crystals if you're worries about watering. Here's a short discussion on it. https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=349358

amanda88 · Feb 7, 2018

baduy said:
Hi everyone
Tittle says it all
I never tried this because of concerns about fungal growth underneath and I realize that of all the growers I know nobody has done the experiment either but I have a very dry and sunny spot in a place where watering is a complicated task. what about putting a plastic sheet (with micro holes I assume) over the roots area at the start of dry season then cover it with a thick layer of straw, wood chips or dead leaves to avoid overheating the soil then take it off before the first autumn rains?
Would this allow me to save on waterings or would it just kill my plants in a week?

Why not! ...it'll break down eventually

just like that plastic trash island between the us and japan

world need more good ideas from guys like you?

after all Elon Musk is dying to get into space

but thats another story

baduy · Feb 7, 2018

amanda88 said:
Why not! ...it'll break down eventually

just like that plastic trash island between the us and japan

world need more good ideas from guys like you?

after all Elon Musk is dying to get into space

but thats another story

Wow villagers lower your forks and blow your torches.
I am not recomending to buy plastic in any way, you're in a bad mood today? I got a bad news there is a whole topic called growing in greenhouse where you will find examples of use of tons of plastic lining so you should go there tell them they are destroying mother earth instead of pissing me off with your views about my RECYCLING strategies.
All the best

baduy · Feb 7, 2018

TychoMonolyth said:
Use water crystals if you're worries about watering. Here's a short discussion on it. https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=349358

Yes water crystals have great potential for guerilla but I don't feel like buying 10 packs of diapers to collect some. On the opposite I had a big supply of blue plastic lining in an abandoned barn on my way to the spot.
Maybe next time I will bring a hammer and chisel to make my own flat stones :biggrin:

TychoMonolyth · Feb 7, 2018

Amazon...
About $20 for 3lbs of crystals.

Evaporation is the least of your watering worries. Crystals only release the water when the earth needs it. 3-4 inches below ground is where you need it most.

h.h. · Feb 10, 2018

Voles love plastic cover. It makes a great roof.
Depending on size, flat rocks can be the same.
Pea gravel will cave in on them, help keep things moist, and it ain't plastic. Breathes better.
Depending on area, a soil sifter may produce enough small stones.

bilko · Feb 10, 2018

kokomarin · Feb 11, 2018

I do mulcing with kompost,thick straw,stones,.
you can see in ghs,nh-fem,paige4 my pic from season 2015.
big stones against wind and wild pigs .

troutman · Feb 11, 2018

Use fallen leaves or wild grasses instead.

They are natural and will enrich the soil.

Don't pollute wild environments please. :moon:

Mtn. Nectar · Feb 11, 2018

I would look at my soils and prep for better h2o retention within hole then apply non fungal/algae native mulch for top dressing.........

plastic......plastic.....sounds like Jim Mora's response to Super Bowl.......

ganj on......

TychoMonolyth · Feb 11, 2018

The minute I can get out in the spring, I'm digging holes with my auger and getting super soil in them.

baduy · Feb 12, 2018

troutman said:
Use fallen leaves or wild grasses instead.

They are natural and will enrich the soil.

Don't pollute wild environments please.

Mtn. Nectar said:
I would look at my soils and prep for better h2o retention within hole then apply non fungal/algae native mulch for top dressing.........

plastic......plastic.....sounds like Jim Mora's response to Super Bowl.......

ganj on......

I appreciate people being concerned and warning about plastic waste. As I previously said that's not really the issue on the spot I'm thinking of, a long time abandoned house and elders in my area couldn't care less about ecology so the place is basicaly a big waste-yard. That's great to deter humans but proved itself tricky for working (gloves mandatory because of broken glass everywhere) It appears there is a big stock of partially degraded plastic liner in the barn and was thinking they could serve as a replacement for flat stones if under a thick mulch as I a am very enthousiast about the combo flat stones+thick mulch in arid ecosystem, never had problems with voles, I'm more concerned about boars. Appart from that I use buried plastc bottles (which I take back later on of course :biggrin:

)around the hole for watering,replace the cap when full and it gives me a slow watering 10 inch deep.
About water crystals I know they work great but last time I looked they were approved for ornemental plants but not for edibles yet, another side of them is I would like to know more about the kinds of modifications soil could possibly get after degradation.
My soil is a mix of native soil, old leaves compost, home made biochar and a little manure. Last year I've been lazy about collecting leaves, I had a punctured japanese tatami which I cut in 2 pieces and brought there, If someone asked I'd just be a zen master who brought material for practicing his art in the woods :laughing:

it's amazing how much rice straw you get from a half real Japanese tatami.
regards

baduy · Feb 14, 2018

F*** it! Just bought some water crystals. First time in years I buy an industrial product for my guerilla, kind of a failure but I won't be able to haul the amount of water needed if not.

TychoMonolyth · Feb 14, 2018

baduy said:
F*** it! Just bought some water crystals. First time in years I buy an industrial product for my guerilla, kind of a failure but I won't be able to haul the amount of water needed if not.

Nothing wrong with it.

Any thoughts or experience on plastic mulching for guerilla?

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