100 Sandbags

Like most gardeners, our spring and summer are spent fighting a wide variety of weeds. Over the years, we have employed several methods including flaming, deep mulch, and weed fabric. Last year we had trouble in some areas with fabric barriers as the wind blew them off. We ended up removing some of them, which opened the door to a lot of weeds. In areas where the fabric stayed in place, it broke down so by the end of the season it was a pain to remove and could not be reused.

This year, we are trying a different fabric material, consisting of a woven fabric. We are hoping it can be reused for at least a few seasons. Previously, we used fabric staples to hold the membrane down, which we found to be ineffective and created holes than then tore. This year, we are trying sandbags. We ordered sandbags online, and bought bulk sand from the local Do-It Center. Because sand is so dense, we only had to fill the bags partway and use zip-ties to close the bags up. In the fall, we can gather the sandbags and stack then in a corner of the garden. If the fabric holds up, we can simply roll it up and store in the shed.

We have had a couple of windy days, and so far the system has worked. If we can reuse everything next year, it will be a success.