A Short Guide to Garden Membranes
Weeds typically need access to sunlight to grow. A garden membrane is designed to control the growth of weeds by creating a barrier between the weeds and sunlight. eBay carries a number of different types of reasonably priced garden membranes for you to use in your garden to control weeds.
What are the membranes made out of?The membranes are typically made out of polypropylene that is shaped into threads of plastic fibres. A garden membrane can be made of either woven or non-woven plastic fibres. With woven membranes, the fibres are woven together to make a cloth-like material. Non-woven membranes use heat to melt and bond the fibres together to make a felt-like material.
How do you choose a membrane?The woven material is made to be stronger and more durable than the non-woven material. Woven material is also less permeable than non-woven membranes. So, you want to use the materials in different ways depending on what you are trying to accomplish. Here the different ways the materials are used:
- Woven membranes are typically used in places like underneath a garden patio, walkway, or other areas where a high tensile strength is useful. The membrane is designed to withstand the weight of people and things passing over it.
- Non-woven membranes are typically used in the gardens to be placed over the soil and around all the plants, bushes, and trees. During the construction, the felt-like material is punctured with needles or some other similar device that creates small holes in the material. The puncture allows water to pass through the membrane to provide moisture to the root structure of the plants so that they can grow.
Yes, you are going to need garden pins or pegs. These are used to keep the membrane from moving around as you walk over it to attend the garden or place mulch down. If the garden membrane shifts, space between the seams will open up and create room for the sunlight to shine down on the weeds and make them grow. The pins should be placed about every 8 to 10 feet along the edges and seams to keep the fabric from shifting. If you are trying to close a small seam, you should place three of four pins closer together to keep it closed. eBay has the pins and pegs you need to secure the membrane.