Raised Beds

[dj1701]

What's a good weed barrier for raised beds? Something that will allow rain through but smother the weeds.

Thanks
Dave

 

[LS Tractor Owner]

I have just used the cheapest "landscape fabric" available. Works great for a couple of seasons.

 

[jaxs]

I don't use a barrier because it severs no purpose. If the bed is 12" deep weeds can't grow through that much soil to reach sunlight. If bed is shallow a barrier will prevent cultivated plant roots going deep as they like. Or perhaps I don't understand what you are trying to accomplish.

 

[newbury]

Depends on what is going in the raised beds. I've used weed fabric and made holes in it for plants like tomatoes, then planted peat pots of tomatoes.
I've also used plain cardboard from shipping boxes laid between rows. Then get it wet and used my Steel Spading Fork to poke a lot of holes in it. Took 2 years to rot away.

 

[dj1701]

I don't use a barrier because it severs no purpose. If the bed is 12" deep weeds can't grow through that much soil to reach sunlight. If bed is shallow a barrier will prevent cultivated plant roots going deep as they like. Or perhaps I don't understand what you are trying to accomplish.

That makes no sense. Weeds don't start from 12" deep, they start on top from seeds and then become established. Your bed could be 12 feet deep and your going to get weeds on top.

 

[jaxs]

That makes no sense. Weeds don't start from 12" deep, they start on top from seeds and then become established. Your bed could be 12 feet deep and your going to get weeds on top.

Most think it makes sense covering surface with mulch because weed cloth needs to be removed occasionally to allow tilling soil to keep it viable.

 

[dj1701]

Most think it makes sense covering surface with mulch because weed cloth needs to be removed occasionally to allow tilling soil to keep it viable.

There is something called the no till method. Seems to work for eveything else that grows outside. No reason to think veggies gardens should be fluffed up each year.

 

[Yander]

I've never used a weed barrier on my raised beds but I would think just a standard landscape fabric would work if that is what you want.

I just mulch it with a compost and weed it every week or two until the bed is full enough with vegetation to crowd out the weeds. Easy to stay on top of with raised beds and mulch. The compost will then feed the soil as it breaks down. I personally wouldn't want the weed fabric in my raised bed messing with my layers of compost breaking down when I have to remove it.

I buy compost in dump truck loads every year at the end of the season, then let it sit all winter and use it in the spring. I do that so that the worms can be in the compost pile all winter breaking it down and filling it with worm castings. Then use that to top dress all of my raised beds every spring.

 

[jyoutz]

I plant a very large garden, not raised beds, but I think you could do the same as me. For some of my rows I use a 4’ wide strip of heavy duty weed barrier fabric on top the soil. I place the fabric, then cut holes for the plants. It keeps the weeds out all season, then I remove it in the fall to allow winter snow to soak in and allow tilling in the spring.

 

[Yander]

There is something called the no till method. Seems to work for eveything else that grows outside. No reason to think veggies gardens should be fluffed up each year.

You definitely do not need to till a raised bed ever.

In fact most raised bed gardeners think tilling them, if you could, would be taboo. It screws up the natural biodiversity of the soil. If you do a raise bed garden right, it becomes almost like the floor of a forest.

 

[2manyrocks]

I used some left over road bed fabric in the garden. That stuff is much heavier than what you find at the home centers. I got mine from a local road builder. It lasted several years. The only thing is when you cut holes for plants, you have to replant in the same holes year after year. So you want to be careful and be sure you have your spacing like you really want it.

Another method is to not use any fabric, but use a dense layer of mulch like chopped leaves, chopped grass clipping that will smother the weeds. I would not use wood chips.

 

[rgr33]

I went a different route, I used 1/4 inch painted hardware cloth.

The reason was gophers and voles were eating plants from the bottom up.
so far it is working well.