Can I use a tarp to kill the weeds in my garden before planting season
by
Deb15447125
I planned on trying to use a black tarp to kill the weeds in my garden before planting my veggies. Do you think this will work or will it cause the plants to grow beneath the tarp like a green house? I plan on using a black tarp to stop the sunlight from coming through.
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It can work, but I would also spray some kind of eco- weed killer - in of itself, it may not be enough...
Black tarp is really only effective as a weed control in very hot weather. You can however, use cover crops as an alliterative to both act as a weed control and enrich your garden soil. Not sure where you're located, but I would suggest you contact your local extension office for suggestions on which cover crops do best in your area. The service is free and there are normally experienced Master Gardeners available to help.
Clear plastic will kill faster than any black plastic or tarp (found in the paint section).
A lot of the suns rays bounce off black plastic and tarp, but the heat that is captured under clear plastic literally cooks plants, weed seeds, nematodes, insects, and soil pathogens (the “bad guy” fungi, bacteria, etc. that bring diseases to plants) in the uppermost layers of soil.It also makes nutrients more available to plants later grown in solarized soil.