[svalli]

You are doing some impressive work! I have been growing my onions with black plastic for many years and when I got started growing garlic, I have used the same method too. The plastic which I use can last many seasons, if I do not tear it, but the fabric seems like better choice. Here it is commonly used for strawberries and other perennial crops and it can last well over ten years. I like the idea of burning the holes, so that the fabric does not fray.
We have couple of old farming fields 100 miles from home, so I can get there only during weekends and do not want to spend the time weeding. The black plastic has proven to be a savior and I use it for most of the plants. This year I want to try it also with potatoes. Our summers are not really hot and even we have long daylight time, the sun shines at low angle that there is no risk of the soil getting too hot.

I do also have a plan to cover parts of the field with silage tarp to smother the weeds from the areas where I want to move my veggie plot in future.

The soil here is still frozen and my garlic is just sprouting, so I enjoy watching the photos of your garlic field in full growth. It will be interesting to find out which way you will find to work for the harvest. My beds are such that I can loosen the soil from both sides with a pitchfork before pulling the garlic. The plastic which I use, stretches and I can pull the garlic through the holes unless the clay soil is clinging on the roots as a big clumps. The holes get a bit bigger every year, but with care I have used same plastic now for three seasons.

Sari