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Weeds growing on top of membrane
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Posted by karen_j Cumbria (My Page) on Thu, Apr 20, 06 at 17:04
| Hi - I have a layer of bark mulch on top the ground in which I have a 3 yr old hedge and it's full of buttercups. Though these aren't growing in the soil as such, are they robbing nutrients that would be otherwise going to the hedging plants? If so, I expect I should diligently remove them?! |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Weeds growing on top of membrane
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The bark as it is decomposing will take nitrogen from wherever it can . i.e soil ... so i would say then that the buttercups are making the problem even worse as being another user of nitrogen...
i suggest that u remove the buttercups as it shouldnt be too difficult as its growing in bark above membrane and apply some fish , blood and bone as long as it isnt an ericaceous hedge ... |
RE: Weeds growing on top of membrane
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Hi,
I was shopping in Homebase the other day and saw that they do a copper coated weed membrane for £17 for 10 metres. The copper coating stops weeds growing below and above the membrane.
Hope this might help.
Steve |
RE: Weeds growing on top of membrane
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| Eerm... s'cuse me butting in... but I have just replanted a pierris in ericaceous compost as it was not doing well (not growing and gone completely green), and chucked a bit of bonemeal in for good measure! Does this mean I have done for it???.... sorry for being so thick!! |
RE: Weeds growing on top of membrane
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| Bonemeal is not the best thing for ericaceous plants, but a handful isn't going to contaminate the compost forever. Watch out for any signs of chlorosis and treat appropriately. I'm curious that you say its gone completely green. Was it variegated? Reversion of variegated plants has little to do with the soil, it just happens sometimes and should be pruned out at an early stage. Or is it just not red? The red leaves only last for a few weeks in spring, then they fade to become green. Lastly, if it is in your garden and your garden soil is alkaline then planting in ericaceous compost will only help for a few months, then you'll be back to square one. About the hedge. Do you like Buttercups? If so, keep them. Add some fertiliser if you are worried about the hedge. If the buttercups and the bark are on top of the membrane then they aren't doing much to the soil underneath anyway. Bark as a mulch doesn't rob nitrogen from the soil in any meaningful way. Watch out for low nitrogen if you mix bark into the soil, but even then the type of bark used for mulches decomposes so slowly that it usually won't deprive the plants of nitrogen. |
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