All the plants you mentioned will more than likely find a way through or in the case of ivy-------------------do this until it finds the edge. What you have then is a six feet long membrane puller upper. Bindweed will go through the eye of a needle! Speak to your local tree surgeon or wood yard about large quantities of bark and/or chippings. It's the way to go IMO.
Absolutely agree with all the points above ... just because I told you how to do it doesn't mean that I advise doing it except in a few specific circumstances.
It's more trouble than it's worth unless the ground is prepared thoroughly and rid of all perennial weeds and roots.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I did all that @Dovefromabove. We rotavated in tons of horse muck and did the whole bit but under the membrane wasn't the problem. It was the surface that caused the struggles later on. For a start how do you get rid of autumn leaves from bark mulch? You can't so it all breaks down and the annuals have a field day...literally! Admittedly I did it over a huge area as I completely did away with my lawn but never again! I'm having heebeejeebees thinking about it. Even taking it back up was a nightmare. I got a contractor in to clear the lot. In this garden the previous chappy used membrane to cover things he was fed up looking at. Some places have soil, membrane, big stones, more membrane, soil, weeds in that order up from the bottom....at least I think it's the bottom.
I think it can work for large landscaping schemes where enough spreading ground-cover plants are used to link up and form a virtually uninterrupted cover ... then it needs someone in sturdy boots to go over once or twice a year to remove willowherb and sow thistles etc which have managed to get a foothold ... I wouldn't use it in a 'normal garden'.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
At least mine keeps the Ash seedlings to a minimum, just around the edges and the odd tenacious little b.... that tries to get a foothold. There are enough other parts to pull them out of. 😬
Ive got it under a gravel drive, it’s been down now for about 5 years, the weeds haven’t come through or seeded from the top. I do pick out any small weeds as they appear. i wouldn’t use it anywhere else, it’s plastic isn’t it!
Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor.
This is how I use "weed membrane". It's black so warms up the conservatory a treat, drying laundry and heating the whole house. All free ( when the sun shines )
I inherited lots of membrane under about three inches of gravel and it has worked extremely well. Over the years maybe an inch of soil collected. Very few problems with weeds. Vinca layered into it but was easily pulled out and a bit of enchanters' nightshade, that again pops out easily enough - I would weed the gravel maybe twice a year (I'm not a fussy gardener). There's lots of bindweed in surrounding gardens but my membrane has been very efficiently blocking it from mine).
Membrane worked well for me because
1) it isn't a large garden
2) the previous owners had put the membrane around existing large shrubs and
3) they didn't plant into the membrane after that point as it was a passive garden, left to do its mature thing.
When I wanted to make it more active I cut two beds (both about 2x3m) into the membrane . I pulled out two tonnes of clay and added two tonnes of compost and manure. The beds have worked very well. Quite densely planted with annuals and perennials. Zero weeds.
So mine is a mixed model. Membrane remaining under the path and under the bushes, very thick mulch everywhere else. I would say if you just want to pop a few shrubs in, then cut slits in the membrane; if you want to actively plant up and keep planting into a new border or bed (adding compost/manure etc annually) then membrane probably isn't going to work for you.
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Speak to your local tree surgeon or wood yard about large quantities of bark and/or chippings. It's the way to go IMO.
It's more trouble than it's worth unless the ground is prepared thoroughly and rid of all perennial weeds and roots.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Admittedly I did it over a huge area as I completely did away with my lawn but never again! I'm having heebeejeebees thinking about it.
In this garden the previous chappy used membrane to cover things he was fed up looking at. Some places have soil, membrane, big stones, more membrane, soil, weeds in that order up from the bottom....at least I think it's the bottom.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
i wouldn’t use it anywhere else, it’s plastic isn’t it!