The best covering materials for beds

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The best covering materials for beds

The most tiring job in the garden is weeding. She is endless! But it is easy to get rid of weeds if you cover the beds with a special covering material. It remains to choose the best

In the process of evolution, weeds have adapted to occupy all the space available to them — they have an incredibly high reproduction rate. You can carefully select all the roots and rhizomes in the garden, but then seeds will arrive from a neighboring plot or the nearest meadow. And they will begin to fill the beds again.

The only way to get rid of them once and for all is to cover the beds with dark covering non-woven material. It does not transmit light, and without it, weeds are not able to grow. Nonwovens vary in density — from 60 to 150 g/sq. m. The most dense materials are called geotextiles and are used for the construction of summer cottages, the arrangement of paths, recreation areas and other landscape work where high wear resistance is required. Of course, they can also be used to protect the beds from weeds, but they are much more expensive. Therefore, it makes no sense to buy a dense geofabric — for a garden, a minimum density of 60 g / sq. m.

There are many such materials. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages, so let’s find out which ones work best for your site.

Rating of the top 5 best covering materials for beds according to KP

The vast majority of modern covering materials for beds is a non-woven fabric made of polypropylene. Another option is a dense plastic film. It is cheaper, but it has a lot of disadvantages.

1. Spandbond №60 black

Spandbond №60 black. Photo: yandex.market.ru

This is the most popular covering material for beds, it has been on the market for many years and has proven itself well.

Spunbond reliably protects against weeds — this is its main function, but not the only one. In addition, it improves the structure of the soil — it always remains loose, porous, never dries out and its surface is not covered with a dense crust. The canvas perfectly passes water inside, but prevents the evaporation of moisture from the soil.

Another function is to protect plantings from diseases and pests. Pathogen spores live in the soil and with every rain and watering, along with splashes, they fall on leaves and fruits, causing disease outbreaks. Spunbond prevents contact with the soil. The same with pests — their larvae overwinter in the soil, and thanks to the covering material they cannot get to the surface and die.

In addition, in spring, the soil under the black non-woven warms up faster — by about 2 weeks than without it. So, it will be possible to plant seedlings earlier and get the first harvest earlier.

Characteristics

Density	60gsm m
Dimensions	3.2 m x 150 m 1.6m x 150m 3.2m x 10m 1.6m x 10m

Pros and cons

The presence of UV stabilization is a protection against the aggressive effects of sunlight, thanks to which the canvas lasts longer, high wear resistance — up to 6 years, a variety of widths — you can choose the right option for your planting pattern, rolls of different lengths — there are options for small areas and for big

The price is slightly higher than other nonwovens, but the difference is small

2. Agrospan mulch 60

Agrospan mulch 60. Photo: yandex.market.ru

It has all the same functions as other black non-woven fabrics — it prevents weeds from germinating, improves soil structure, retains moisture, protects against diseases and pests, allows you to get a crop 2 weeks earlier — in spring, the soil under it warms up much faster.

Characteristics

Density	60gsm m
Dimensions	0.8 m x 200 m 1.6m x 200m 2.1 m x 150 m 3.2 m x 150 m 4.2 m x 150 m

Pros and cons

The manufacturer claims a long service life — 4 seasons, but this is less than that of Spunbond, a variety of sizes in width — it is possible to choose the right option for a specific landing pattern

Very large rolls in length — only 2 options: 150 and 200 m, and if you need to cover just a couple of beds, you get a lot of leftovers

3. Luck 60

Performs a traditional set of functions — protection from weeds, diseases and pests, improving soil structure, maintaining moisture. Like other covering materials, Luck helps the soil warm up much faster in the spring, therefore, you can plant seedlings earlier and get the first fruits faster.

Characteristics

Density	60gsm m
Dimensions	2.1m x 10m 3.2m x 10m

Pros and cons

UV stabilization — it protects the canvas from wear, in particular from fading in the sun. Service life — 4 years, 2 width options — for different planting patterns, compact packaging — it is convenient to carry the non-woven to the country house

Both options have the same length — 10 m, which is very convenient for small areas, but will become a problem for large-scale plantings, because you have to lay several canvases and there will be a lot of extra joints

4. Agrosuf black

Like all analogues, it has a traditional set of functions — it passes water well, but does not allow it to evaporate, protects against weeds, pathogens and harmful insects, maintains a loose, porous soil structure, makes it possible to get an early harvest — under this material, the soil warms up for 2 weeks in spring faster, which means that seedlings can be planted earlier.

Characteristics

Density	60gsm m
Dimensions	1.6m x 10m 2.1m x 10m 3.2m x 10m

Pros and cons

The presence of UV protection — it extends the life of the material, a variety of widths — you can choose for any planting pattern, compact packaging — the canvas is folded in several layers and sealed in a bag, which makes it easy to bring it to the dacha, even without transport

Short service life — only 3 years, after which the manufacturer offers to change the canvas to a new one, there are no options for length — only 10 m, which is convenient for small areas, but will cause unnecessary problems in large gardens, it costs more than analogues

5. Mulching film «Svetlitsa soil»

Opaque PE films are always cheaper than covering nonwovens, and this is just the right option. Its thickness is 60 microns. Available in two color options — black and brown.

It performs, in fact, the same basic functions as modern non-woven fabrics — it protects against weeds, diseases and pests, retains moisture in the soil, helps it warm up faster in spring — under it the soil temperature is 5-10 ° C higher. However, she has a lot of shortcomings.

Characteristics

Thickness	60 µm
Dimensions	1.2 m x 400 m 1.2 m x 200 m 1.2m x 10m

Pros and cons

Low cost — this is the most profitable option among mulching materials, high wear resistance according to the manufacturer, as well as increased elasticity, strength and resistance to cracking, long service life — at least 5 years

It is not able to pass moisture to the roots of plants — after rain, all the water will remain on the surface in the form of puddles, and in order to water the beds, it will either have to be raised or completely removed, which is very troublesome. It does not allow moisture to evaporate from the soil, a greenhouse effect is formed, and this can lead to root rot, especially in regions with high soil moisture (non-woven fabrics significantly inhibit evaporation, but still allow excess water to escape into the atmosphere). The film is very slippery — you will have to walk along the beds with caution, and for older people this can be completely dangerous. In hot weather, the soil under such a shelter heats up excessively. To get the same price benefit, you need to buy large rolls, but if you need a little film, then a small roll will cost a pretty penny — its average cost per 1 sq. m reaches 40 rubles, which is 2 times more expensive than non-woven

How to choose covering material for beds

“The first thing I want to advise is to forget about the films,” says agronomist Svetlana Mikhailova. Remember: the miser pays twice. Yes, you can save on the purchase, but then be left without a harvest. Give preference to covering non-woven materials. And since they have the same feature set, choose the ones that last longer — even if you initially pay a little more, in the end the benefit will be significant. Think for yourself: non-woven fabric for 20 rubles with a service life of 4 years and for 22 rubles, which will last for 6 years. Obviously, the second option will save you money in the long run.

And, of course, choose the optimal width for yourself. If you have narrow beds, it makes no sense to take wide strips — you will either have to cut off the excess canvas or make large overlaps. And this is a waste of money.