# cheap weed barrier for conservation plantings



## muzzy (Mar 21, 2002)

Here is a neat idea to save money on weed barrier for trees a person plants for wildlife. If you get your hands on old jute back carpet that is being replaced, snag it. You can cut into about 3 ft. by 3 ft. squares. When you plant a tree, you can make a slit in the carpet and put it over the tree upside down (so the carpet is down and the jute back is up). Then take some wire and pin it down. This makes a water permeable weed barrier that is free.

By the way, if anyone is replacing carpet in NE, ND send me a personal email and I would like to pick it up. I have about 250 trees I need to handplant this spring.

Thanks!


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## redlabel (Mar 7, 2002)

Great idea. Plus when the get rained on they will hold water when soaked as opposed to running off like the plastic weed barrier.

Check with your local full service carpet stores or a carpet installer. Unless their installation that day is in a new house they are usually throwing the carpet they tear out into a dumpster.


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## redlabel (Mar 7, 2002)

The carpet idea is a great tip. I planted 500 junipers last spring and we are planting another 1800 next spring.

I'm always looking for tips and do you have any suggestions for preparing for juneberries, chokecherries, dogwoods or other shrubs that a person want to sucker in as opposed to the junipers. I'm planting about 1500 of them next spring and in the years to come.


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## muzzy (Mar 21, 2002)

If you want suckering shrubs to sucker, you need to leave the weed barrier off and use other weed control methods. You have to be careful that you don't damage the suckers with other weed control methods.

We have weed barrier on our nonsuckering trees, but our lilac, buffalo berry, juneberries, and plum have no fabric as they are suckering. However as I am sure you know, some plants such as redosier dogwood and plum grow pretty fast and it doesn't take long to where they are to the point they don't need much care. I have some dogwood that was planted last spring, and after the growth it showed this year, I think I will be able to leave it alone after next year.

If I had to do it over again, I would still put fabric on them. After about 3 years when the plants are established I would then cut open the fabric between the shrubs to allow them to sucker then. Tree fabric is expensive, but if you are planting a lot, try and get a WHIP grant through the NRCS, if approved, they will cover 75% of trees/fabric. Your SCD would be able to help you with this.


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## muzzy (Mar 21, 2002)

Yep, wish I knew about the carpet earlier. I read about it in a book by Margaret Brazell titled "Growing Trees on the Great Plains". This summer, I helped my father-in-law replace all of the carpet in a rental house he owns. It all hit the landfill, wish I could go back and recycle it.


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