Ground cover textiles: Better crop performance and weed management
Ground Cover Textiles: Uses and Benefits
The major reason for growing crops on a commercial scale is to make profits. That’s every gardener’s aim. But it doesn’t come by hard labor but the technique one uses to reduce spending and cultivate crops in a healthy state. There are factors that affect crops and could also prevent them from growing well. Ask any gardener and you will discover that their major complaint and concern is weed management. Weeds are useful but not to the gardener. They are nature’s remedy to mankind. But the gardener has a different idea and does not need its presence in the garden. Weeds can also make the garden look very untidy, making it hard for gardeners to spot crops that have diseases.
They even cause diseases themselves by harboring insect pests like aphids. Aphids spread viruses to crops and can destroy the entire crops in a single garden. Aphids are just one of the numerous insect pests that weeds can harbor that can damage crops.
Weed management with Ground Cover Textiles
Managing weed is not labor intensive. It could also involve a huge investment, especially in commercial gardening settings. Weed removal also consumes a lot of time, which can be put into other productive use. This is why using ground cover textiles to manage weed is a wise choice.
The main use of ground cover is to ensure that the environment if weed free for potted plants to thrive especially during the growing season. The UV stabilized polypropylene material is popularly used by nurseries and landscapers in different applications. The ground cover ensures that weeds do not invade potted plants. The textile is also permeable, allowing nutrients, water, as well as liquid fertilizer to be easily absorbed and penetrate through the textile.
Ground Cover Textile Reduces herbicide usage
Organic growers are very conscious of the environment, and always seek ways to reduce herbicide use. Though herbicides help to kill weeds but the after effect does not look good. Most of the chemical used to kill weeds does its job and may still find its way to underground water and contaminates. Erosion can also wash the chemicals off into the river. The herbicide kills weeds that have germinated but not the seed. So, gardeners who are focused on using herbicide to control weeds may have to spend more to achieve result throughout the growing season. Ground cover has proven to be an effective way to control weeds. The cover blocks the seeds from receiving sunlight, which affects their growth.
Ground cover textiles can help gardeners to manage their gardens effectively. With weeds out of the way, the gardener may direct his or her effort to other use. The cover prevents weeds from growing and can last longer, depending on the choice of the gardener.