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Jasper, Indiana

What is everyones opinion on Preen landscape fabric? I am considering this for weed protection. Will the runners/vines root through the fabric? Does anyone cut the fabric and bury vines like we do for pumpkins? Last year I anchored the vines with the ends of plastic hangers until the vines rooted. If you use the landscape fabric what is the best way to anchor the fabric to keep it in place?

4/13/2012 8:20:09 AM

The North Coast

I heard on other message board posts that preen does inhibit root growth and was not recomended. How much it does and the effects are debatable.

4/13/2012 8:31:02 AM

Jasper, Indiana

Id there a preferred landscape cloth? Or what is the preferred method of weed control?

4/13/2012 8:41:04 AM

Jasper, Indiana

Has anyone tried last year's leaves about 2" thick to prevent weeds and also keep the moisture in? I can get truck loads of this stuff from the local street department.

4/13/2012 8:57:24 AM

Garner, NC

Last year, I used the cheapest fabric I could find. 3ftx 100ft roll is $9. Put it down and then covered with pinestraw..Not wheat straw. Worked great, the waxy coating on the pinestraw didn't hold moisture, and kept any ight from getting to seeds. Also keeps the sun from heating the ground to much in the summer.
My plants didn't root down, so it's kinda hard to have a great weed barrier and still have the plant root down. I just used sod staples to pin down the runners.

4/13/2012 10:28:24 AM

Western PA

BuckHunter,
a grower from Iowa does use last year leaves as mulch. Last year was the first year he tried it on a few pumpkins. I personally spoke to him and he was very happy with the results. It keeps the weeds down and keeps moisture in.
I plan on trying it with one of my pumpkin plants this season.
I would only try this on one plant to see how you like it.

I and a lot of other melon growers do use landscape cloth to grow melons on. It is almost a must, as melons do not do well with weeds towering over them.

Yes, you can cut a slit in the cloth right under the leaf nodes and pin down the vine there to promote rooting.

4/13/2012 2:44:19 PM

Mt Vernon Ky

Ice I can get pine needles bales would this be the same

4/13/2012 2:44:35 PM

Pataskala,OH

You can use landscape fabric without preen.

4/13/2012 3:11:24 PM

Garner, NC

@ VIC, pine needles, pine straw, same thing, I think us rednecks call it pinestarw

4/13/2012 3:54:52 PM

Muddy Waters

I dont dare use weed barrier in the melon cave I'm afraid in might lead to disease issues.I find once the plant takes over the weeds are minimal.I spend a couple hours a week cutting or pulling weeds.Its good exercise.

4/13/2012 5:53:42 PM

Muddy Waters

I will be using it however outside for FPs & Maters & open areas that I dont want to weed or till.

4/13/2012 5:56:05 PM

Baker City Oregon

Black and white newspaper might work. Just soak it in a wheelbarrow of water and lay it down and cover it with compost or something. I used it around some grape plants one year and it worked great for one season. The worms like it and will break it down so it's only good for one season.

4/13/2012 8:58:15 PM

Cleveland, Tenn

I have been using landscape fabric for a number of years now, and it has worked very well for me. I use the 12x300'rolls that I get from John Deere landscaping. I have been using wheat straw to cover fabric to keep heat build-up down. It also allows the vines to anchor and keep them from being windblown. I like Todds idea of using pine straw. Ithink I'll try it on one of my beds this year.

4/13/2012 10:23:08 PM

Ottawa, Ohio

What's pine straw?

4/14/2012 12:20:10 AM

Bowdon, GA

I have had best luck with the cheapest I can find it allows the node roots to root. The mulch on top is what you need to be careful with. Several other growers and myself had bad luck with straw and hay or other things that break down quickly. It tends to get moldy an cause diesease on the plant if you get alot of rain. This year I'm going with the pine straw too.

4/14/2012 1:06:36 AM

Muddy Waters

Pine needles JAB,us yanks never heard of it till I got on here.lol

4/14/2012 6:09:30 AM

Muddy Waters

I dont know why they call it straw?It aint hollow.lol

4/14/2012 6:10:59 AM

Taylorsville, California

Bubba knows pine straw!

4/14/2012 9:03:56 AM

Bethlehem CT

Buck Hunter I am using the Preen Brand landscape fabric this year. There is no Preen (pre emergent herbicide) in the fabric. It is just made by the same company that makes the Preen granular herbicide. I would not be afraid to use it.
I wish I could get pinestraw here. If I want some I will have to go out and rake some up myself from under a White pine, I don't think the white pine would be quite as good as the stuff you get down south from the long needled pines. Red or Scots pine would probably be better for us up North. (The needles are more woody and have a waxier coating) Although any type of pine straw would be better than rye or wheat straw. I would bet that pine straw has antifungal and antibacterial properties too.

4/14/2012 9:20:30 AM

Piqua, Ohio

I use screened sand on my fabric about 2 inches thick works good in these parts!

4/14/2012 1:53:53 PM

Jasper, Indiana

Thanks for all the replies....

I think I am going to try old leaves for mulch this year.
They are free and I can get all I want.

4/16/2012 7:23:52 AM

formerly RGG

If you are trying to grow a big melon that is NOT going to help you. All the decaying organic matter will cause your vines to rot when they are in contact with it 24/7. IMHO, you would be better off growing in weeds.

4/16/2012 8:24:51 AM

Muddy Waters

You may be right Dennis,Disease is my concern also with mulching type materials.I did grow the 198 Clementz in the weeds. Buried in the weeds from late July on ward.I didnt pull the weeds due to arthritis pain & I knew It would do more damage then good pulling up the roots intertwined with the melons roots,which were also the 260s root zone.Look at My diary last year,you couldnt see the melon Vines hardly at all.It was the 291 Kent.I dont think the weeds do as much damage as we think.

4/16/2012 9:22:38 AM

Sugar Hill , Georgia

So can we come to a consensus that black landscape fabric is good for melons or no? Would you reccomend it over black plastic? Also how would you go about water with the fabric there , drip system underneath ? Would having the landscape fabric over heavily composted soil be a recipe for rot and disease? Sorry I have a lot of questions , help and input
Is appreciated!

4/16/2012 12:56:16 PM

Madison,Wisconsin

Hey Cap, I have a John Deere Landscaping near me. What brand is the landscape fabric you use? Is it the gray type? I'm looking to use a bunch this year.

4/16/2012 1:55:20 PM

formerly RGG

Zlatic, black plastic isn't much good. It totally controls weeds but does not allow the soil to breathe and allows no water or nutrients into the soil and allows for no vine rooting. These elements are very important to giant watermelon growing. That said, I grew my 207 on black plastic.
I think landscaping fabric is the best thing we can use.

4/17/2012 6:08:46 PM

Cleveland, Tenn

Z120, I have a high percentage of organic matter in my soil and have never seen any mildew rot or disease under the fabric.It is porous so air and moisture is no problem. I am using 1/2''pressure compensating drip tubing @ 1' intervals spaced 16'' apart under the fabric. I will zone the tubing to allow precise watering and ferts.

GG I'm using the 12' widex 300'long black landscape fabric with green lines spaced every one foot.

The only trouble I've found is that the black fabric will heat up more than I like, so I put a thick layer of wheat straw on top. This keeps the vines high and dry and allows them to anchor.

4/17/2012 7:59:10 PM

Weifang

Use the best weed control fabric will help you solve the garden questions always! For weed control fabric, http://www.bulksacks.com

8/24/2014 11:11:02 PM