Depending on what problem you are going to solve by using covering material for dacha, garden, vegetable garden, and you should make a choice. And there are indeed many options available. To understand this issue, let's look at some of the most popular and sought-after types of covering material for garden beds—how to choose without making a mistake!
Types of covering material
The so-called non-woven material for agricultural work is produced in a wide variety of designs, they differ mainly in density, as for color, it is mainly black or white, the most popular and actively used.
Black covering material is used to cover the soil for mulching, to control weeds and drying out, and to reduce the amount of watering, which in turn, in addition to the benefit of moistening, also carries the risk of leaching useful minerals from the soil.
White covering material is used to cover plants from above from temperature changes and frosts at the beginning of the seedling planting season.
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Both materials are manufactured using the same technology, the only difference being the presence of a coloring agent in the black material. These non-woven covering materials are incomparable to the standard film previously used by gardeners, which is impermeable to both air and moisture, and if condensation forms on the inside, can cause serious burns to plants when exposed to direct sunlight.
The choice of covering material for garden beds and how to choose it will become clear once you receive specific information, mainly concerning the thickness and color of the non-woven material.
In addition to white and black covering material, silver, yellow, and double black and white are also produced; these are environmentally friendly materials produced on the basis of stabilized propylene.
The market offers an abundance of materials such as snapbond, agrospan, agril, agrosuf, agrotextile, geotextile, and lutrasil. All of them are of equally high quality and differ in density, which is their main characteristic when choosing.
The variety of non-woven covering materials corresponds to the density:
— 17 g/m2;
This density characterizes the thinnest material, suitable for specific agricultural purposes, which we'll describe below, for which it's simply indispensable. This covering material allows for excellent air and moisture exchange within the shelter and can protect plants from temperatures as low as -3°C.
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— 30 g/m2;
A slightly higher density, depending on the color, can be used both for mulching the soil and for the top cover of plants, guaranteeing greater protection from short-term frosts reaching minus 7*C.
— 42 g/m2; — 60 g/m2;
These two types of covering material are fairly dense, but they're not ideal for garden beds, as they're primarily used to cover greenhouses or trees, helping plants withstand temperatures down to -9°C. Because they're quite heavy, they're not suitable for garden beds, so the first two types are the best choice.
Selecting a covering material
Now that we've gotten to the heart of the matter, we can make an informed choice based on our specific needs and the problems we're trying to protect our crops from.
So, if you need to mulch the soil for planting strawberries or any other crop, you should choose the thinnest black material. However, the problem is that black, which absorbs light, can contribute to overheating of the roots during abnormally hot weather or when used in southern agricultural regions, and the film itself will suffer.
There are two options here: either use a cheaper black covering material and then apply a mulch layer of leaves, straw, or dry grass, or purchase a more expensive double-sided covering material with the same excellent air and moisture exchange characteristics.
This more advanced soil mulch is available in black and white. The dark bottom layer prevents weed growth, while the top layer helps reflect sunlight. Incidentally, some of this reflected light reaches the plants themselves, increasing their growth and yield.
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It's important to remember that the covering material for the beds (we've already told you how to choose it) should be laid on a flat soil surface, both for ease of plant care and to avoid damaging the film itself during maintenance. Choose a narrow version; the width of the beds should not exceed two plant bushes.
White covering material is used to protect seedlings from freezing temperatures and pests, depending on the severity of frosts in your region. It's important to choose a white covering material that's not too thick to prevent the seedlings from being crushed or broken. However, if a thicker covering material is necessary, it's recommended to install greenhouse arches on the beds, which can be easily removed later.
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Anna P
I'm a villager, and of course, I have my own garden. And even though I live in the south, I've started using covering material.
First, in early spring, I build a greenhouse for growing seedlings. Initially, I stretch polyethylene film over arches made of metal-plastic pipes, and when the weather warms up significantly, I use agrospan or spunbond. I'll say right away that the first time I bought the thinnest kind, and very quickly there was almost nothing left of it: a strong wind reduced it to tatters. My advice: don't skimp, it's more expensive for you.
Secondly, I gradually transplanted all my strawberries to a 60 g/m2 black agrospan mulch. This layer lasts at least five years. I must say that the soil underneath hasn't overheated even in hot weather, and there are many advantages: easy runner removal, clean berries, no weeds, and reduced watering.