Weed mat

Weed mat is a fibrous cloth like material used in weed control.Weed mat is an artificial mulch, laid on top of the soil and prevents weeds from growing to the surface.

=Laying Weed Mat [http://www.hireahubby.co.nz/news.asp?pageID=2145820979&RefID=2141707203] =

Start by clearing all weeds from the area to be protected. Lay the weed mat on top of the soil.Cut the mat to shape. The mat must be laid around existing plants or holes cut for the plants to poke through. Fasten the mat to the ground using weedmat pins. Weedmat pins are a plastic pegswith a flat top, looking a bit like an oversized fencing nail. Push them through the weed matand into the ground by hand.

Once the weedmat is down cover it with bark, stones, or your choice of material. Water theplants at their base.

=Alternatives to Weed Mat [http://www.hireahubby.co.nz/news.asp?pageID=2145820979&RefID=2141707203] =

Newspaper can be used as an alternative to weed mat. Lay 5-6 layers of newspaper on the ground,staggering the edges of the sheets in each layer. Water the newspaper so it forms a thick cardboard like mat.Cover the newspaper with bark or similar.

Recycled newspaper has the advantage of being cheaper than weedmat. On the minus side it breaks downover time and will need to be relaid. A thickness of five to six sheets will last around a year. Newspaperalso lets less water through than weedmat so plants will need to be watered at their base,through the gap in the newspaper.