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PureHarvest · April 24, 2017

I should note that I originally planted into soil and mulched with straw before I discovered the fabric with holes method. We cleared the straw in early Feb when the tips were just poking through and were able to carefully lay the drip tape and fabric over the beds/plants and pin it down. We then put the straw against the edge of the fabric to keep the weeds away from the edge of the beds and sort of seal off the edge of the fabric. it is working perfectly. No weeds along the edge to pull!
These shots were February 6th 2017.
This fall, we will prep the beds, fertilize, lay the drip tape, roll out the fabric, pin it down, and dibble the holes and plant the cloves. Done till the next summer. I don't know how you can get the labor (mostly in weeding) any lower than this method. I know people are doing this on black plastic, but you need a tractor and plastic layer attachment. Plus you have to pull up the plastic every year and throw it away. Wasteful. Then you have to keep buying plastic. I expect to get at least 5-7 years out of my fabric. A 3'x300' roll of fabric cost me $50.
garlic 2-6-16.jpg

garlic 2-6-16a.jpg

April 24, 2017	#3
PureHarvest Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Mid-Atlantic right on the line of Zone 7a and 7b Posts: 1,369	I should note that I originally planted into soil and mulched with straw before I discovered the fabric with holes method. We cleared the straw in early Feb when the tips were just poking through and were able to carefully lay the drip tape and fabric over the beds/plants and pin it down. We then put the straw against the edge of the fabric to keep the weeds away from the edge of the beds and sort of seal off the edge of the fabric. it is working perfectly. No weeds along the edge to pull! These shots were February 6th 2017. This fall, we will prep the beds, fertilize, lay the drip tape, roll out the fabric, pin it down, and dibble the holes and plant the cloves. Done till the next summer. I don't know how you can get the labor (mostly in weeding) any lower than this method. I know people are doing this on black plastic, but you need a tractor and plastic layer attachment. Plus you have to pull up the plastic every year and throw it away. Wasteful. Then you have to keep buying plastic. I expect to get at least 5-7 years out of my fabric. A 3'x300' roll of fabric cost me $50. garlic 2-6-16.jpg garlic 2-6-16a.jpg Last edited by PureHarvest; April 24, 2017 at 03:27 PM.