Hello. I was wondering if I can get more information on the type of weed block fabric I should be using for the Jadam no-dig/no-till method. Can you advise on what to look for in terms of color, type of material, etc?
1. For example should it only be made of Polypropylene and nothing else? I've seen fabric on the market here in Japan made of Polyester or Polyolefin as well.
2. Are colors like green and brown to be avoided? Should it be the shiny type like you use in your video or can I also use the fabric type?
3. Should I be looking for woven weed block fabric or non-woven? It seems like the non-woven with the tiny needle punched holes allows more water to flow freely than the woven weed block fabric that I often see being sold online. Such as this one. https://store.shopping.yahoo.co.jp/attention8-25/000000123049.html?sc_i=shp_pc_search_itemlist_shsrg_title# Which looks like is the same type you use in your videos.
4. How many mm thickness is the minimum and what is ideal thickness?
5. Many of them say they have anti uv, anti moss and mold coating on it and was wondering if those are unhealthy to put that over the compost and soil where I will be growing food.
6. Won't these fabrics in general degrade over time and deposit microplastics into the soil?
Thank you for your time. Your advice would be greatly appreciated and put to good use!
Using Landscape Fabric protects the soil and makes it better sooner. Crops also grow better. The maximum lifetime of Landscape Fabric is 20 years. I don't think it's completely free from the problem of leaving microplastics in nature.