Also, I don't use round up, but I use fuel trimmer for finish cut this 4 inch row of weed. <BR> <BR>Denis <BR>Quebec city<BR><BR>----- Message d'origine -----<BR>De: Steve Melchiskey <smelchis@maine.rr.com><BR>Date: Jeudi, 5 Juin 2008, 19:42<BR>Objet: Re: [Growwine] Plastic mulch, Wavelength selective mulches<BR>À: growwine@littlefatwino.com<BR><BR>> I've used the woven black mulch for a full 3 years <BR>> now.....no <BR>> problems except those identified by Alain. The other issue is <BR>> that <BR>> the behind the tractor mower doesn't get near enough to the <BR>> mulch <BR>> line, so there is a 4 inch row of weeds I have to weed whack, <BR>> and <BR>> deal with or they get very, very high. I don't use round up, but <BR>> am <BR>> tempted (too bad I grow organic). It actually has been the best <BR>> thing <BR>> I did for my vineyard and my back. I highly recommend it......<BR>> <BR>> I have also been thinking of pulling up the mulch and planting a <BR>> low, <BR>> dwarf grass where the mulch was.....some way of using the bare <BR>> ground <BR>> as a transition point. Haven't figured this out yet. Need <BR>> an <BR>> aggressive growing, dwarf grass......<BR>> <BR>> best,<BR>> steve<BR>> maine coast vineyards<BR>> <BR>> <BR>> <BR>> n Jun 5, 2008, at 9:37 AM, Alain Breault wrote:<BR>> <BR>> > There is vineyards in Quebec with black plastic mulch for over <BR>> 12 <BR>> > years and<BR>> > so far no problem , roots are not shallow and soil is alive. <BR>> Round- <BR>> > up was<BR>> > used after 5-6 years because too many bad weed growing in <BR>> every <BR>> > accidental<BR>> > holes<BR>> > Alain Breault<BR>> > ----- Original Message -----<BR>> > From: "Michele Roberge" <fleurdelis@gwi.net><BR>> > To: <growwine@littlefatwino.com><BR>> > Sent: Thursday, June 05, 2008 9:07 AM<BR>> > Subject: Re: [Growwine] Plastic mulch, Wavelength selective mulches<BR>> ><BR>> ><BR>> >> Paul,<BR>> >> The use of black ground covering mulch has been studied for <BR>> the mass<BR>> >> production greenhouse growing industry, it was found <BR>> that <BR>> >> initially there<BR>> >> was good soil activity (worms and such) beneath but in a <BR>> season or <BR>> >> two the<BR>> >> soil virtually "died" under the barrier cloth. This is <BR>> the usual<BR>> >> industrial<BR>> >> heavy stuff with lines on it. The thought was to plant <BR>> in holes <BR>> >> or slices<BR>> >> cut through. The Master Gardeners are taught to use <BR>> newspaper <BR>> >> (black &<BR>> >> white<BR>> >> is vegetable based ink) under mulch. This degrades in a <BR>> season with<BR>> >> enough<BR>> >> time to kill weeds beneath. Clear plastic solarization <BR>> only <BR>> >> created a<BR>> >> greenhouse for the grass under it in my cool area.<BR>> >><BR>> >> Michele<BR>> >><BR>> >> Paul Bulas writes:<BR>> >><BR>> >>> I have some personal experience here. Some years <BR>> ago, I planted <BR>> >>> a vine<BR>> >>> against a fence. Covering the bare ground between the <BR>> fence and the<BR>> >>> concrete walkway was a piece of cloth-type black material <BR>> which <BR>> >>> itself<BR>> >>> was covered over with white landscaping stones. A year <BR>> later, my <BR>> >>> vine<BR>> >>> pushed new growth ... and suddenly died. Perplexed, I <BR>> dug up the <BR>> >>> vine<BR>> >>> and examined the roots - they had rotted completely, and <BR>> were <BR>> >>> black and<BR>> >>> dead - and there was a moldy odour coming from under the <BR>> fabric. I<BR>> >>> subsequently ripped out the fabric entirely (it had <BR>> originally <BR>> >>> been put<BR>> >>> there to control weeds) and covered the immediate area with <BR>> just the<BR>> >>> white landscaping stones. Since then, my replacement <BR>> vine has <BR>> >>> thrived,<BR>> >>> and only occasional weeds have popped up, which are no <BR>> problem to <BR>> >>> remove<BR>> >>> by hand. So it seems that roots need to breathe too.<BR>> >>><BR>> >>><BR>> >>> ----- Original Message ----<BR>> >>> From: Dolores Smith <dolores_solutions@yahoo.ca><BR>> >>> To: growwine@littlefatwino.com<BR>> >>> Sent: Wednesday, June 4, 2008 12:14:02 PM<BR>> >>> Subject: Re: [Growwine] Plastic mulch, Wavelength selective <BR>> mulches>>><BR>> >>><BR>> >>> I was advised by an OMAFRA grape specialist not to use <BR>> plastic mulch<BR>> >>> given a negative effect on the vine's root system. He <BR>> suggested>>> landscaping cloth if I wanted to pursue that type <BR>> of a weed <BR>> >>> block...then.<BR>> >>> a landscaper informed me that the regular landscaping <BR>> cloth <BR>> >>> purchased at<BR>> >>> retail would not do the job well and the higher quality <BR>> professional>>> cloth would be too expensive for that type of an <BR>> application.>>><BR>> >>> Last season I used straw mulch. I also had more <BR>> problems with <BR>> >>> powdery<BR>> >>> mildew than write-ups for cold hardy grapes indicate <BR>> should <BR>> >>> occur, so<BR>> >>> perhaps it was the season last year or the fact that <BR>> straw <BR>> >>> supports the<BR>> >>> spread of powdery mildew...?<BR>> >>><BR>> >>> Dolores Smith<BR>> >>> Erin, ON<BR>> >>><BR>> >>><BR>> >>> <BR>> >>> __________________________________________________________________<BR>> >>> Ask a question on any topic and get answers from real <BR>> people. Go to<BR>> >>> Yahoo! Answers and share what you know at http:// <BR>> >>> ca.answers.yahoo.com<BR>> >><BR>> >><BR>> >> _______________________________________________<BR>> >> Growwine mailing list<BR>> >> Growwine@littlefatwino.com<BR>> >> http://lists.littlefatwino.com/mailman/listinfo/growwine<BR>> ><BR>> ><BR>> > ---------------------------------------------------------------<BR>> ------- <BR>> > ----------<BR>> ><BR>> ><BR>> ><BR>> > No virus found in this incoming message.<BR>> > Checked by AVG.<BR>> > Version: 8.0.100 / Virus Database: 270.0.0/1485 - Release <BR>> Date: <BR>> > 05/06/2008<BR>> > 10:07<BR>> ><BR>> > _______________________________________________<BR>> > Growwine mailing list<BR>> > Growwine@littlefatwino.com<BR>> > http://lists.littlefatwino.com/mailman/listinfo/growwine<BR>> <BR>> _______________________________________________<BR>> Growwine mailing list<BR>> Growwine@littlefatwino.com<BR>> http://lists.littlefatwino.com/mailman/listinfo/growwine