THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, March 10, 1996 TAG: 9603080076
SECTION: HOME PAGE: G2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: Robert Stiffler
LENGTH: Short : 30 lines
IN RECENT YEARS, some gardening experts have cautioned against using black plastic mulch under bark or pine straw as a mulch for plants. But it does have some good uses.
One of the best is helping to warm the soil in late winter and early spring, according to experts at Louisiana State University. The black plastic absorbs heat and gets the ground warm enough so you can plant earlier than in previous years. Black plastic mulch also helps control weeds.
Crops on which black plastic has been used successfully are tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, cucumbers, watermelons and cantaloupes. It may also be used on early okra, corn, beans and peas.
Some gardeners use black plastic around plants that attract aphids, such as roses. Painting the plastic with aluminum paint has proven to interfere with aphids' ability to locate the plants. Keeping aphids away helps prevent insect-transmitted virus diseases.
KEYWORDS: WEEDER'S DIGEST by CNB