How to Use Black Plastic to Kill Weeds Organically

[@LizZorab]

I hadn't realised how much a slope your garden is on! Perhaps use the stones in a retaining wall when you take some of the bank back to make space for the polytunnel. The garden is really coming together Tanya, I can't wait to see what you do with it during the summer months.

[@Lovelygreens]

It's very slopey! Haha!

[@hermanhale9258]

That's what I was thinking. Slope, drainage, erosion, collapse.

[@TheGiddyGardener]

I would incorporate the stones in with the landscaping! Very pretty! Also, you probably provided a nice warm protection for creatures in the ground with the black plastic - I have used black plastic also and it worked well as the first step in creating a flower bed.

[@Lovelygreens]

No doubt! Maggie has spent many an hour pouncing on the plastic. It's probably harboured more than a couple of generations of mice 😆

[@yureituesday]

Beautiful stones, what a blessing

[@junewrogg6137]

Love those Quartz rocks. So beautiful. I would use them all over your yard as borders and art. What a find! YAY!

[@Lovelygreens]

Exciting find, isn't it? 😍

[@mudoh2131]

Love the quartz stones, begging to be made into a feature. I have used the same black plastic and found it most useful.

[@danieladeutsch1708]

With those gorgeous white stones I would build a wall somewhere, just a small one, to support the soil. Great video. Thank you! XX

[@homegrown5464]

Looks great....seriously! Nothing feels better than dealing with a problem area and this is my go-to method of clearing invasives.

[@Lovelygreens]

So pleased that the plastic did its job well and that it saved us time and effort with clearing :)

[@tassiegirl1991]

Tanya, it is so lovely to see how things are progressing, it doesn’t seem a year since you moved. If you go ahead with a pond maybe you could use the quartz as a feature especially if moonlight lights them up, I’m not very creative but I’m sure you will find a way to incorporate them somewhere. It was great to see the far view having never been to the isle I had no idea it had rilling hills, just beautiful location if even more tricky gardening. Cant wait to see more. Take care and do enjoy your land.

[@Lovelygreens]

Thank you :) Quartz + Water is such an intriguing idea and I'll definitely be looking into it. Yes, the Isle of Man is mainly hilly. There's flat land in places, especially the north, but it's still possible to have a bountiful garden on a slope. I don't know what it's like to have a flat garden 😂

[@mulchindia1681]

It is a very useful and very important information about Black plastic Mulch.

[@pisageegee2424]

Loved the reveal....thank you

[@jennyjohnson9012]

Wow I love the quartz. I would make a quartz rockery. Imagine the sun shining on it. Looking forward to seeing the polytunnel going up. Exciting times!

[@lakemichigan6598]

I let my raised gardens go for a few years & they got terribly overgrown with weeds & tree starts. So once I decided to revive them, I covered them with clear plastic the summer/fall before the next spring's anticipated plantings. The summer sun shining through the transparency created so much heat all the weed stuffs growing in those gardens were dead before August.

[@Lovelygreens]

Fab! I think region will determine how well clear or semi-transparent plastic would work though. I've seen clear plastic used here (Britain) and the plants underneath were lush. Basking in their very thoughtful greenhouse 😂

[@lakemichigan6598]

@@Lovelygreens I'm sure you're right. I think my keys to success were having raised beds & keeping them both hot & dry. Here in W. Michigan (USA) we get long spring & summer days that not only heat up the soil under clear plastic, but can really dry it out too. I think it's the combination of raised bed soil made both hot & very dry for a at least a couple of months duration that work together to turn those beds into little killing fields.

[@jasonwarren5165]

Use the stones to create a waterfall feature at your pond.

[@learntobake2023]

Another interesting video! If the quartz were on my land, I'd find a way to use it traditionally and to share what I had left over.

[@CardsbyMaaike]

love the quarts. If you have a drive way or a path up to the house, I'd line the sides, maybe a waterfeature/fountain. I covered my front garden last year, covered in nettles and ground elder. I spent 4 months digging it up from the back garden, but the front is not actually mine, but the city's so I covered it with cardboard first, then left over black film from Laminate floors and then wood chip from the council's tree surgeons. I will leave it another season though, just to be sure and to get the go ahead from citiy to make it pretty and not dog toilet

[@iartistdotme]

The beautiful rocks would make a great path edge along a small flower pathway. Oh boy, the potential is really inspiring!

[@Lovelygreens]

Isn't it, Mary? So many things that could be done with them 😍

[@janetleeharrison]

Interesting history of the use of white quartz - never heard of this before - thank you! You could use them on each end of a stair step (i.e., deck) or perhaps to mark the rows or beds inside the poly tunnel. Maybe a rockery garden along the front side or on either side of the poly tunnel entrance to soften the structure lines without blocking the sun? I'm thinking grey gravel with the contrasting white quarts dotted around & maybe 2-3 nice big planted pots. Could even do a rockery over by the new deck with a bubbling fountain made out of a tall ceramic planter.

[@Lovelygreens]

There's a bit more information on the historical use of quartz on the Isle of Man (and a photo of the gatepost usage) here: www.iomtoday.co.im/article.cfm?id=45271 Thanks for the ideas! :)

[@janetleeharrison]

@@Lovelygreens Thanks you!💖

[@stevendowden2579]

its going to look great when its all done well done tanya

[@Lovelygreens]

I'm starting to see it now too :) The plastic sheeting isn't the prettiest solution but it's temporary and now we can get to work planting it up. Thanks Steven!

[@patriciacaprio5103]

I ordered a silage tarp last fall. It's white on one side and black on the other side. It basically does what black plastic does except the one side reflects and the other side absorbs I think. A farmer recommended it to me to remove Japanese stilt grass from our vegetable garden. After the snow is gone I'll be trying it out. We have a 35x25 foot garden so it's a lot to dig and dispose. Last year we were a month behind planting trying to remove the weeds.

[@nkc9788]

create my own back yard Stonehenge 🤟🏽

[@melanieallen8980]

Interesting!!!Beautiful quartz crystals..Magical..😍I would make a succulent garden with them..

[@faizanphysicalfitnesstv5494]

Wow beautiful and great video sharing sister👍

[@infiniteadam7352]

Garden boarder, or pathway, the traditional use sounds great, keep it going!

[@Lovelygreens]

There's so many of them that I may be able to use them a couple of ways :) Thanks for sharing!

[@philtaylor9038]

Hi Tanya, I like Kittys suggestion better than pond lights and eco friendly. I was going to suggest you either offer them to a stonemason or have them cut into tile size pieces and used as coasters or under plant pots. or turn into soap dishes to sell with your soap.

[@Lovelygreens]

They are beautiful and there are so many ideas being shared! Thanks Phil :)

[@emptynestgardens9057]

Definately a water feature with that quartz! How gorgeous that would look at night as well as day.

[@Kengsqueen]

Absolutely would use the quartz as a boarder for a bed or a walkway!

[@siusiu2178]

I would increase the energy of your place by placing them in strategic place. You can create nice association with plants and stones

[@user-hz7kv6js6l]

I would use the stones to make a circle spiral raised flower garden bed.

[@rebeccazody1278]

I hate to say this, as I respect the potential mysticism of those stones, but you could probably sell them and offset some of your garden project expenses. I love them, and all rocks, so would have a really hard time doing that though. Love your videos and how you are nurturing this new location. Looking forward to seeing more.

[@Lovelygreens]

Quartz is relatively common here so I don't think that they wouldn't fetch big money. It would be an idea though!

[@jayneeburks8482]

I think you mentioned building a pond. The stones would be lovely along its edge and illumine your flora and pond life.

[@Lovelygreens]

That would be so beautiful!

[@FarmerTonto]

What type of plastic did you use? Looks like a great technique. I will definitely use this to clear some of my land.

[@Lovelygreens]

It's heavy duty black polythene sheeting. Lasts years if it's not cut/punctured or left flapping around in the wind. There's more detail on using it and a link to the type that I use on my website here: lovelygreens.com/using-black-plastic-kill-weeds/

[@misstrcarter]

I would line a pathway going off into a tree line with those quartz stones. Try to have some type of secret garden/fairy garden vibe. I would also put a couple on top of posts to use them they way they used to hundreds of years ago.

[@donnajoy6951]

I am starting this project tomorrow. Thanks for giving me the confidence. What is the material you mentioned that is biodegradable (with mulch) - did not catch what you meant

[@Lovelygreens]

It's biodegradable cornstarch mulch fabric from the UK company Mulch Organic

[@danlit7018]

Hey Tan !. Check you out, im buzzing to see you so accomplished. I built a mini house on my plot, so cool. I work from 7 to 6 so no gardening for me right now. Im going all out permaculture, free up my time. Doing construction its fun, they love me, theater called ' The factory '', cool project. Well happy for you, have to catch up.

[@Lovelygreens]

Sounds like you have a plan and are working towards your goals! 🙌

[@jamesdavies7513]

I always wondered why the island seemed to be covered in those quartz stones. My grandparents had them in their front garden.

[@deyoglines]

Hello! Are tree roots affected if they get covered during the hot months?

[@Lovelygreens]

Yes, most likely it would deprive them of much needed moisture. I wouldn't recommend it!

[@kadripress1]

Moon garden with the quartz stones ?

[@michellerosewood1942]

I'd use them to encircle a secluded place for meditation/yoga practice. :)

[@paulajay6879]

Great video! I'm laying my plastic tomorrow😃I just wanted to know if I can plant fresh grass seeds after the clean up or would that mean I run the risk of the weeds returning?

[@Lovelygreens]

Personally, I'd allow whatever weed seeds are in the soil to germinate first then hoe them off. Then sow new seed.

[@JulieSheridan]

A moon garden with the quartz stones as centerpiece…surrounded by white flowers and silver foliage…

[@Lovelygreens]

That's a beautiful idea 💚

[@Vector_Ze]

I've done something similar, today is day 126, and am soon to remove the plastic. But, I have peeled it back periodically to check on the project's progress. The primary target is what we call torpedo grass (look it up, it's horrible stuff), and even though it does seem to have suffered from lack of light, it is apparent the absence only made it sickly. Getting ready to plant soon, I'm going to have to till. Sadly this monster grass is not deterred by tilling, every little fragment of rhizome just grows. The sheeting has been in place for 126 days. Even worse, there has been no beautiful pyrite sparked quartz rock to show up, LOL. The largest rocks in my location can be measured at one millimeter and under. Here, if you want anything more sizeable than sand, you have to pay money for them, LOL. One thing you didn't cover is how to compact and store the sheeting for reuse. I imagine that's going to be a big challenge. Did you just dispose of it?

[@Lovelygreens]

The longer you can leave the plastic down the better. Unfortunately, tilling will likely make the problem much worse.

[@blieumom1]

@@Lovelygreens what agricultural zone--Isle of Mann?

[@amandavincett7409]

Those stones are beautiful, you could maybe use some of the smaller ones (or break up the big ones) to edge paths? Loving your channel, newly subscribed ❤ 🌱💛

[@Lovelygreens]

Thanks, Amanda :) The stones MUST be featured in some way...they're so beautiful! There's so many that there might be a couple of ways to use them. Thank you for your idea 💚

[@joycehandersonfriends3225]

I'm pretty new at gardening .... From your video I'm assuming the black plastic kills also the roots of the weeds also? How long do you think it would take to thoroughly kill weeds in zone 8 in late January with this method since it's not hot weather? I had a successful raised bed garden with a small clear plastic hoop house tunnel over it a few years ago but the weeds and bugs were a constant problem for my back for me to tend plants since I was in my late 70s. I'm almost 80 now but trying to become more flexible with structured exercises. I have a small 6x8 greenhouse arriving Friday, 1/27/23 so I can start seeds and also learn container gardening. At the moment I don't know how to safely heat the plastic greenhouse because we often have sudden high winds here near the ocean that could possibly damage the greenhouse that's going to be outside in full sun and tied to my chain link fence. So I'll take plants into my home when the temp outside gets below freezing. Any advice and suggestions at all would be well appreciated from you or from any of your viewers. joyce

[@Lovelygreens]

Depending on the plants underneath, you'll need about 6-12 months. Tougher perennial plants take longer to succumb to light deprivation, especially if they have thick roots (stored energy). I also used to have the same size polycarbonate greenhouse. I recommend you weigh it down at every corner that you can. A fierce wind can blow it right over and away, probably taking the fence down with it. I had mine pushed right up against the house and a large heavy container on the other side to pin it against the house. It still blew around! It took building long planters inside to keep it stable in the wind.

[@marcelocamargo9286]

Where do you get the plastic? What is it called? Thank you

[@Lovelygreens]

It's called visqueen and comes in large rolls.

[@tinaabbott4815]

Will this method work on killing an invasive ground cover? The previous owners planted chameleon plant and I have been unsuccessful for YEARS trying to get rid of it. I really don’t want to use glyphosate but I have been told numerous times that’s all that works for this invasive plant 😔

[@Lovelygreens]

It will kill most anything if kept over the ground long enough.

[@milkweed7678]

I wonder if flat ish land were tilled, shallow I guess, then covered immediately with the black plastic for months if that would help knock out a higher percentage of the new weed germination? Interesting video! Thanks!

[@Lovelygreens]

Black plastic tends to kill growing plants only so it wouldn't really do anything with the seeds. That means that the moment you lifted the plastic off, they'd begin growing and you'd have a newly tilled crop of grass and wild plants (weeds). Better to lay plastic in spring or summer when plants are growing to knock them off. Once lifted, lay a thick cover of mulch to stop any seeds at the surface from germinating. Also, I don't till any soil at any point any longer, with one reason being that digging brings more weed seeds up to the surface. There are LOADS buried in the soil!

[@milkweed7678]

@@LovelygreensThe reason I said that is at 2:35 you said it seems to bake some of the seeds as well. So I just was thinking maybe openings up the dirt just a little might bake a higher number of seeds. Thanks!

[@Lovelygreens]

@@milkweed7678 I explain that it may kill some but unfortunately not the majority.

[@cindytardif9737]

What type of plastic and how long does it cover the area??

[@Lovelygreens]

There's much more information here lovelygreens.com/using-black-plastic-kill-weeds/

[@surfit.]

Aside from your alien fugus, you got some awesome surprises in the garden. Purple mushroom. For the crystals, what if you line your driveway with them? Sounds tacky but will it ghostly glow in the moonlight? Hah, there's your lighted driveway. Is the crocus saffron? That'll be the most valuable plant in your garden. I'd like to grow saffron but I live where temperatures rarely drop to 55 degrees Fahrenheit . I wonder if they'll survive in the fridge?

[@Lovelygreens]

Yes so many interesting finds! I don't think that I mentioned in the last video but we also found European Cave Spiders living under the old deck. They seem very uncommon here. The crocus is probably an ordinary type though :)

[@itsmewende]

Your story about the crystals reminds me of a story my mom told me. This was probably in the 30's, when my uncle was a teenager driving home, it was a full moon clear night and he said the dirt road looked like a silver ribbon, he turned off the headlights to follow the ribbon. He was pulled over and they put him in jail, he said he was more upset to call his father to get him out, than being put in. I think I'd leave some in the garden, if the moon would light up the area, seeing the garden in moonlight might be magical. Wouldn't it be nice if someone had photos of the hill when it was planted, seeing the Crocus makes me think it may have been really nice years ago.

[@Lovelygreens]

I'm assuming the road had quart crystal in the gravel? How beautiful it must have been!

[@itsmewende]

@@Lovelygreens.....I bet your giants really are magical in the moonlight.

[@nancycurtis4712]

Where did you get the large plastic

[@Lovelygreens]

Hardware shops -- the kind that tradesmen use rather than your average DIY shop. Here it's called visquueen.

[@ufoman4468]

Hello Tanya Lovely Greens. Maybe if you have enough Quartz Stones they could be broken into smaller sizes and build a Garden Ornament,, Bird Bath. or a small Folly. Maybe a feature around a BBQ area . Okay. Kitty McGee already suggested what i was thinking. :( Hahaha

[@Lovelygreens]

Great minds think alike? :)

[@aventureabeille9257]

Hello 🤗😃✌️

[@stestrupholm-dyrkjorden]

What happened to this area over the years? Did it work?

[@Lovelygreens]

First I planted a hedgerow, then sowed it with flower seeds. Last year it went a bit wild so I'm replanting underneath the hedgerow. I shared this area regularly in 2022's monthly gardening videos.

[@semrayildiz6970]

Of course do the same thing and line them up into a lit up straight and narrow pathway keeping some distance between each stone.

[@willsheehan2975]

I've put oats in a jar in a pressure cooker for 90 minutes for a mycology project, and some still grew after they got moldy and I threw them outside

[@rachelgrinnell]

I think I would use the crystals to outline a large circle and make a tiny rock garden for meditation.

[@themoorlandsallotment7159]

Ooh I like that idea

[@robinmiller1783]

Quartz stone water feature .....maybe a pump to create a waterfall. The white will look so cool day and especially at night.

[@Lovelygreens]

I'm thinking along these lines :)

[@aldas3831]

Use the stones to create terraces. They will look great!

[@ReapWhatYouSeauxLeJeune]

I would use them to make a flower bed…

[@maplenook]

Great idea I use cardboard a lot to kill weeds

[@SaraGLyndel]

With the quartz have you had the idea of a energy circle for revitalising yourself and water to replenish the plants your growing? If not how about a small building/ folly with them on display to enjoy?

[@missourigirl4101]

Ideas to do with those stones? Put them back. That’s a retaining wall to prevent erosion and flooding in to your home.

[@Lovelygreens]

I don't think they're doing much as far as supporting the bank -- they're just stuck in as ornamentation. There's work happening on the bank so they need to go. At least temporarily :)

[@finflwr]

Use them to decorate and stabilize a bank? ;)

[@Lovelygreens]

I think that solution has been shown to not work very well. They'd get lost there with the way it will be planted up and they're just too beautiful to not feature in some way.

[@finflwr]

@@Lovelygreens Maybe on a smaller scale? Though having read the other comments, the incorporation with a water feature seems a wonderful idea :)

[@cozcamedia3250]

Looks like a bit of silver in that quartz!

[@sarahlovesdonuts9601]

I wonder if referring to the use of plastic to kill the plant material is actually organic. Yes this is herbicide free, but plastic is not a naturally occurring substance.🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️. We don’t know what chemical are leeching out of the plastic after sun, rain and temperature fluctuations. Maybe you you can help me understand this better.

[@annalillianwade4906]

Check the quartz for gold intrusions!

[@ruthrice3498]

you should sell a lot of them!!!

[@Lovelygreens]

They're something special that came from our new home. I couldn't part with them now :)

[@themoorlandsallotment7159]

Can't wait till you've created your vision, then we can all see

[@ramthian]

❤️❤️❤️👍😊

[@lynnhoffmann3273]

Plus… where would you put all of that dirt if you dug it up. 😳 It would be heavy, bulky and bring along those weeds to some other place.

[@CaneCorsoShow]

those are huge Quartz!

[@gardeningplus7271]

Hi Could you make a video of how much youtube paying you guys with the views you get please and thank you.

[@Lovelygreens]

It's not as much as you'd think, which is why this isn't my main job/source of income. Google ads are notoriously the worst paying in the industry.

[@nebnesnah]

I'm sorry, but plastic isn't "organic"

[@TheGiddyGardener]

She is using it only as a cover, not letting it become part of the ground. So technically it is organic because she didn’t use chemical to kill grass and she provided a safe place for in-ground organisms.

[@Lovelygreens]

Hiya! Plastic sheet mulch is an approved organic method for clearing land. Using heavy duty material is best though since it doesn't break apart as easily and is not left in the soil. It also means that it can be reused many times over! If you have a lot of land, this is one of the most eco-friendly ways to create a garden. Tilling can be much more destructive to soil life and integrity.

[@quantafitness6088]

I would have a hard time feeling like an organic gardener without considering the impact of the products I use on the whole eco-system. Not just narrowing it down to the moment I am using it.

[@miosniczkaroz2317]

I agree, plastic is not organic, plastic is the worst waste in the world, and if you buy it, it will become waste some day and you will contribute to contaminate the environment. We in Europe use cardboard to kill weeds, not plastic.