Is weed mat better than plastic? You must understand this information before choosing one of these materials. It will make you create healthy plants always.
In the past, people usually used plastics to block the weeds’ growth. As time goes by, technologies are developed, and now people prefer to use the weed mat.
This weed mat can be made from woven or non-woven polypropylene or polyethylene. Several gardeners agree that this material is way better than plastic, and here are the reasons.
Factors to Consider
There are some aspects that you need to consider before making a decision. So, is weed mat better than plastic? These considerations may help you to have a clear overview of everything.
1. Permeability
When you are thinking about being porous or permeable, we cannot deny that landscape plastic is less permeable. It means that plastic can prevent the loss of moisture.
Furthermore, it can prevent the exchange of environmental gases as well. It is more recommended for a flower bed or vegetable garden.
2. Lifespan
Lifespan is an essential factor that you have to consider. Landscape fabric is usually more durable or it owns a longer lifespan. It is because this product is made from a synthetic material such as polypropylene or polyester.
The composition that it has resists degradation. The landscape fabric that you install can last for many years. Meanwhile, the black plastic is usually for short-term weed eradication.
However, there is a simple trick if you want to use plastic and increase longevity. You can choose the thicker one which is more than 1 – 1.5 milimeters thick.
3. About the Cost
In the market, the landscape plastic is cheaper than the fabric type. Besides that, it is also easier to install in a garden. In other words, you can say that landscape fabric will need more ingenuity and labor.
It means that you have to pay more for that. Besides that, in some cases, someone may need to hire a contractor of landscape to do this installation.
4. Weeds Suppression
The plastic weed barriers consist of two types; the standard black plastic sheeting or a woven landscaping one. They may create a more solid material that can block the air, water, and weeds completely.
Please note that the black plastic can smother weed. Besides that, it can harm some desirable plants as well because it can limit their gas exchange and photosynthetic process.
Is Weed Mat Better than Plastic?
What is the answer to that question then? Both of these weed barriers have an aim to smother weeds and make the soil warm. However, plastic is impermeable.
The good thing is plastic is cheaper, although it has a shorter lifespan which means you may need to replace it regularly. So, if you don’t want to do that, choosing the landscape fabric is better.
Whatever your choice is, everything is based on where you want to install this product too. Besides that, some other factors also have their role.
Those factors such as the types of plants to grow and local weather conditions. So, is weed mat better than plastic? In some cases such as permeable and lifespan, the answer is a yes.
For more information about Weedmat please contact: Whatsapp/Mobile Phone: +62 811 1721 338 (Ms. Ais) or Email : info@urbanplastic.id.