Weed Membrane

At our AGM in February 2026 the following motion was put forward:

Motion 1: that TAL should have a policy that plastic weed membrane is well maintained, and not permitted to get buried, or weeds to grow through it.

This received a unanimous supporting vote from members present, this is the guidance that all members should follow:

If you decide to use a plastic weed membrane firstly be aware it's not good for the environment and long term use can pollute the soil. There are other methods for supressing weeds such as use of cardboard, mulching and woodchip.

 If plastic membrane is your chosen method then please consider using a higher quality membrane as this can last longer. The thinner membranes - which feel more like soft fabric - can be prone to breaking up into the soil, even when they are sold as UV resistant. Placing cardboard or thick layer of newspaper underneath will help protect the soil and the membrane.

 Cardboard can be used on its own as a weed suppressant. Garden centres or DIY stores may have a supply of robust cardboard for this purpose. NAS provide guidance on the use of cardboard and best practise as not all cardboard is suitable. This can be found at https://thenas.org.uk/Cardboard-Allotment-Safety

 Please maintain plastic weed membrane so that it's reusable for many years. Weeds can and do grow through weed membrane, if this happens it is extremely hard to remove, so staying on top of weed removal is imperative. Membrane must not be allowed to be buried in the soil.

 It is understandable allotment members want to keep weeds under control and use of plastic can assist with this. However, it should be used sensibly because of the damage it causes long term to the environment. TAL recommend that plastic membrane should only be used on paths, or temporarily to cover a bed for winter. Once winter has ended the plastic should be removed, cleaned and stored away for use another year (should you wish). Temporary use of membrane is also allowed in spring/summer pending preparation of the ground for subsequent planting.

 Leaving plastic membrane down for long periods on soil which is supposed to be used for growing crops is not advised and should be avoided.

TAL Committee

April 2026