Using carpets for mulching tomatoes

greenspun.com : LUSENET : Countryside : One Thread

I am thinking about picking up some castoff carpeting and cutting holes in it and then planting my tomatoes through these holes so that the carpet becomes a mulch. I know you can use carpeting for mulch and was just curious if anyone had tried it and any pitfalls they experienced particularly as it relates to tomatoes.

-- Colleen (pyramidgreatdanes@erols.com), May 14, 2001

Answers

It works really well for perminate beds/paths, but if you ever want to move it, it is a nightmare! The only thing about tomatoes is that a stem laying on wet carpet will send out roots into the carpet.

-- Thumper (slrldr@aol.com), May 14, 2001.

colleen, I would not use carpets as they may contain inorganic chemicals that could ultimately contaminate your tomatoes, not to mention the pH of your soil. Sincerely, Ernest

-- http://communities.msn.com/livingoffthelandintheozarks (espresso42@hotmail.com), May 14, 2001.

I agree with Ernest. With slightly more effort, you can find other free materials to mulch with that are far more organic.

-- Paul Wheaton (paul@javaranch.com), May 15, 2001.

why not cardboard? If you dont mind the look of carpet in your garden, then cardboard shouldnt bother you. In fact, cardboard is very readily available (almost every business throws away tons of it every year!), and sticks well to the ground with a good soaking, keeps the weeds down for a season, and then rots to add organic material to the soil. I would shy away from carpet, for all the reasons the good people listed above.

-- daffodyllady (daffodyllady@yahoo.com), May 15, 2001.

.... or just sheet newspaper, by the day, real thick? I understand that carpet often contains lots of really powerful pesticides. This may or may not be a bad thing, but it has certainly sabotaged some people's hopes of organic cerification - for years - when they didn't know in advance.

-- Don Armstrong (darmst@yahoo.com.au), May 15, 2001.


Thanks all for your answers. It kept me from making a mistake. I raise all of my vegetables through organic methods and it never occurred to me that there would probably be chemicals in the carpets. I know they have phemeldahyde (sp) now that you mention it. I am going to go with a combination of layers of newspaper under a layer of cardboard. I think that will have the same effect that I wanted as the carpet would have had. I will just have to make sure that the plants get enough water as the cardboard will probably not be as porous as the carpet initially, but that is not a problem. I was just trying to keep critters from eating the fruit that touched the ground and I think this will solve that problem. Now if I can only solve the problem of being three inches below average in rainfall already this spring. We are getting a few sprinkles right now but I don't think it is going to amount to much. thanks again. As always, this forum came to the rescue with their advice.

-- Colleen (pyramidgreatdanes@erols.com), May 16, 2001.

Moderation questions? read the FAQ