Hello everyone.
We are currently planning our outdoor area and are doing as much as possible ourselves.
We have already had the future lawn area excavated, since large trucks cannot easily access the site after the terrace and other surfaces are installed. Early next year, we plan to fill the area with 20 to 30cm (8 to 12 inches) of topsoil once all the paving and other surfaces are completed.
Now we have a serious problem with weeds, especially thistles, and I have been considering covering the excavated area. The question is: Is this effective, and can it help control the weeds well? Would it be better to use an opaque landscaping fabric or a tarp for this purpose?
Thank you very much and best regards 🙂
We are currently planning our outdoor area and are doing as much as possible ourselves.
We have already had the future lawn area excavated, since large trucks cannot easily access the site after the terrace and other surfaces are installed. Early next year, we plan to fill the area with 20 to 30cm (8 to 12 inches) of topsoil once all the paving and other surfaces are completed.
Now we have a serious problem with weeds, especially thistles, and I have been considering covering the excavated area. The question is: Is this effective, and can it help control the weeds well? Would it be better to use an opaque landscaping fabric or a tarp for this purpose?
Thank you very much and best regards 🙂
M
Myrna_Loy5 Jul 2021 11:05With thistles, I would handle it before filling in the area – once the seeds start to disperse, it becomes very difficult to get rid of them.
C
Colorblind5 Jul 2021 11:08Thank you so far, I am currently just looking into planning and have found a silo liner that roughly fits the size and is lightproof. I think I will order it and lay it out once the ground has dried a bit.
It makes sense to apply herbicide after removing the topsoil. You can also sow seeds immediately afterwards. Whether you want to do that is up to you. Alternatively, you can cover the area with a tarp for 1–2 weeks. You will always have some weeds, so frequent mowing and hand weeding are necessary. In the current state, it doesn’t really help because the light-dependent seeds will all be covered later.
M
Myrna_Loy5 Jul 2021 11:49rick2018 schrieb:
It makes sense to apply chemicals after the topsoil. You can also sow right away. Whether you want to do that is something you have to decide yourself.
Or just cover with a tarp for 1-2 weeks. You will always have weeds. Regular mowing and hand weeding are necessary.
In the current condition, it doesn’t really help. The light-dependent seeds will all be covered later anyway. It does help insofar as preventing this year’s seed spread across the property, which could later blow back onto the area. Especially with thistles, it’s important to prevent seed dispersal. I’ve had personal experience with this—the landscaping planner assured us that 30cm (12 inches) of fresh topsoil would be enough to stop the regrowth of unwanted plants. But everything came back anyway.