[Closed] Garden advice - Weed suppressing membrane

Screwfix stuff, or toolstation. Way cheaper the BnQ

we used stuff from a local garden centre. when you put it down its worthwhile pegging the edges down with metal pins. stops the edges rolling up and looking scruffy. also make sure you have a good overlap

Just be aware that some of these membranes are very thin and certain weeds will pierce them easily....so they become a waste of time. If you are walking on it then ensure the level of the membrane is a a couple of inches below the surrounding area, so the gravel sits level.

http://www.avsfencing.co.uk/decking/framework/geotextile-membrane/

I use this stuff. It's good but needs pinning/pegging in. Cut x's to plant in.

Tim

Thanks folks.

To be a bit more specific, ideally I'd like a 4 or 5 metre width so I can use one large piece to cover an area 4 x 5m. Also want it to be strong enough to suppress some fairly persistent weeds like couch grass from pushing through. Happy to pay more for a product that works well, just don't know which is the best?

The 'standard offering' woven black roll stuff sun degrades and can be pierced by determined weeds (* it comes in various thicknesses) imho the thinner stuff (*and poss even the thicker) won't be good enough. So I'd do some reading on weight/thickness.

The stuff I used was white/fabriccy stuff(looked solid more like cloth than the standard black etc weave) - it was expensive, however 15 years later it's still there(even edges that get sunned and mossed) and still working - will have a look in garage when I get home to see if I can find the packet. (FYI bloke down road was doing his drive with same looking white stuff - so you can still get it). Just laid it flat, pegged edges and make sure any joins were well overlapped/pegged.

*EDIT do NOT use pea shingle or it will be used as a cat sh**ery use 30mm or preferably bigger

towzer - that sounds like the "terram" fabric I used to use when building footpaths etc. Robust and hard wearing, but not sure what it would be like to plant through?

Any other advice / experience appreciated 🙂

To be fair, with soil above the membrane it'll soon start popping up with weeds anyway.

I did a small patch with some industrial membrane or 'non-woven geotextile' if you like (normally used to underpin rockway sea defences, under train tracks and motorway embankments - its about 5mm thick, all edges heat bonded. Scattered some gravel on it and already (6 months later) some weeds and grasses are coming through - they don't come from *under* the membrane, they take hold above it.

EDIT, I misread the OP, but what I say still stands, you will soon have weeds no matter what you do - plant waste (dead leaves etc) decomposes between the gravel and soon becomes fertile soil.