gr.covers grow over weed blocker?

I am helping a friend re-do her yard, front and back. I am going to rent a sod cutter and dry set some pavers for a courtyard in one area and in another area plant some ground cover and plants. I know we have to go a bit deeper then the sod cutter will go to get the area ready for the pavers. But can we remove the sod, place fabric weed blocker and then compost/soil and then plant the ground cover? Will that 1 1/2 - 2" of soil be enough for ground cover? Or should I just use the newspaper? We have lots of fabric weed blocker and lots of newspaper.

This message was edited Aug 7, 2006 3:44 PM

Personally I just hate that weed block fabric. Weeds do grow into it and you just can not
pull them out. I'd skip it and just use lots of newspaper.

Tam

If you are removing the sod, chances are that weeds from beneath won't bother you like the free seeds you will collect. :( Many people that have done the weed barrier/landscape fabric, have later complained about it making the dirt extremely hard and suffocating even the roots on the good plants that you want. I say go with lots of newspaper or even cardboard (which I have found very effective!). You still might use the fabric under the pavers I suppose. I only use the landscape fabric anymore if I am putting in drain tile. It slows the dirt from seeping into the tile.

I 2nd what tammy and michele said

Good to know. thank you. I too prefer cardboard, at least in the 'installation' as it is easier then newspaper that gets blown away and torn etc. I will use the fabric w/ pavers. So now the question is, w/ down after removing sod will the 2" of compost be enough to get some ground cover going?

I think 2" of soil might be a little skimpy. On a good note, the cardboard is going to decompose and give you a bit more space but I don't think it will be much. In a perfect world, the worms are going to come along and flip the new dirt, old dirt and newspaper together but I have no idea how long that might take. Would it be possible to go 4"? Many of the ground covers can be bought in cells or 4" pots but I'd be worried about them heaving out of the ground if they dry out.

Just for what it's worth, I'm in agreement with Tammiy, Badseed, and Vossner about the fabric. But I do prefer newspaper to cardboard because it seems to break down more quickly. Just my limited experience.

I put nine pavers in a square under the outside (plastic) sink I hung on the wall, and put a sheet of cork under it. So far, it's working extremely well.

cork? cork and water? I love cork but never thought it could be with water.

anastatia I prefer newspaper also. I apply it about 10 pages thick and lightly wet it. You still have to work fast, but the water buys you some time. BTW, I'm not a newspaper subscriber, so whenever I had needed paper, I would collect from the neighbors and it was a bit of a pain to get some.

Not anymore. I am lucky that our county recycling center is relatively close to me, so whenever I need a bunch of newspaper (quickly) for bed preparation I go over there and take all I want/need. If you live near a recycling center, I bet you can do the same.

This message was edited Aug 8, 2006 3:02 PM

Also keep an eye on libraries. They toss the extra newspapers in their recycle bin and put it on the curb. ;)

newspapers, or the lack of them is not my problem. Getting a few layers down, getting water on them before the wind takes them or the stack waiting to be layed in the garden gets blown away , well that's the problem.

I tried the fabric weed blocker in my veggie garden this year. Complete waste of time!!! Grr.... I am collecting all my newspapers for next year!!! :)

Nicole

I've used two kinds. The thin plastic with the teeny tiny holes is pretty good for solarizing an area before tilling and planting. The kind that's like a thin layer of plastic fused to a thin layer of flannel -- you might as well put down spit. Between that and my "luck" with the compost barrel I bought, I think I'm going to start ignoring marketing strategies.

Get some kids to help you. Have them lay the paper or squirt it while you lay it. The first is probably safer. LOL We raided the recycle bins at the library and brought home tons of newspapers and used printer paper. The kids helped me lay and spray it as we went and it was not so bad.