I think it was probably 15-20 years ago that while doing some
landscaping a previous owner of our house spread weed control fabric
over a new bed, planted a buddleia, and spread wood chipping over it.

Fast forward to now, and the bark chippings have rotted down nicely,
mixed with many years leaves from the buddleia. There are 3-4 inches of
really nice loam on top of the fabric.

The buddleia has spotted this, as have other plants around, and now has
roots both above and below the fabric. In a few places it's managed to
get them to go through holes.

I've spend all day digging the **** fabric up. Hopefully I won't kill
too much stuff.

Andy

On 29/08/2022 21:06, Vir Campestris wrote:
> I think it was probably 15-20 years ago that while doing some
> landscaping a previous owner of our house spread weed control fabric
> over a new bed, planted a buddleia, and spread wood chipping over it.
>
> Fast forward to now, and the bark chippings have rotted down nicely,
> mixed with many years leaves from the buddleia. There are 3-4 inches of
> really nice loam on top of the fabric.
>
> The buddleia has spotted this, as have other plants around, and now has
> roots both above and below the fabric. In a few places it's managed to
> get them to go through holes.
>
> I've spend all day digging the **** fabric up. Hopefully I won't kill
> too much stuff.

No need to dig it up.
A box cutter blade will easily shred it if that is what you want to do.

--
Regards,
Martin Brown

On 29/08/2022 21:06, Vir Campestris wrote:
> I think it was probably 15-20 years ago that while doing some
> landscaping a previous owner of our house spread weed control fabric
> over a new bed, planted a buddleia, and spread wood chipping over it.
>
> Fast forward to now, and the bark chippings have rotted down nicely,
> mixed with many years leaves from the buddleia. There are 3-4 inches of
> really nice loam on top of the fabric.
>
> The buddleia has spotted this, as have other plants around, and now has
> roots both above and below the fabric. In a few places it's managed to
> get them to go through holes.
>
> I've spend all day digging the **** fabric up. Hopefully I won't kill
> too much stuff.

You've got it relatively easy. I've got the membrane with 5 - 6 cm of
mid-sized pebbles covering it. I reckon they were put there 20 years
ago, so it's now pebbles with lots of leaf mould. To plant anything I've
got to move aside the "soil-mortared" pebbles (which isn't easy), cut
through the membrane (I cut a large "X" and fold back the four sides),
spread the roots of the new shrub, backfill with soil, replace the
"X"-cut membrane up to the stem of the plant, then put back the pebbles
and leaf mould. There's about 40 or 50 m^2 of it...

--

Jeff

On 29 Aug 2022 21:06, Vir Campestris wrote:
> I think it was probably 15-20 years ago that while doing some
> landscaping a previous owner of our house spread weed control fabric
> over a new bed, planted a buddleia, and spread wood chipping over it.
>
> Fast forward to now, and the bark chippings have rotted down nicely,
> mixed with many years leaves from the buddleia. There are 3-4 inches of
> really nice loam on top of the fabric.
>
> The buddleia has spotted this, as have other plants around, and now has
> roots both above and below the fabric. In a few places it's managed to
> get them to go through holes.
>
> I've spend all day digging the **** fabric up. Hopefully I won't kill
> too much stuff.
>
>
Seen carpet on an allotment the same, left for years then abandoned for
the next guy to have to get it up with stuff, grass, brambles etc,
growing through it.

--
Regards.
Bob Hobden

On 29/08/2022 21:06, Vir Campestris wrote:
> I think it was probably 15-20 years ago that while doing some
> landscaping a previous owner of our house spread weed control fabric
> over a new bed, planted a buddleia, and spread wood chipping over it.
>
> Fast forward to now, and the bark chippings have rotted down nicely,
> mixed with many years leaves from the buddleia. There are 3-4 inches of
> really nice loam on top of the fabric.
>
> The buddleia has spotted this, as have other plants around, and now has
> roots both above and below the fabric. In a few places it's managed to
> get them to go through holes.
>
> I've spend all day digging the **** fabric up. Hopefully I won't kill
> too much stuff.
>
> Andy
I found wee control fabric to be a total waste of time, and mulches too
by and large. The seeds all settle on top of both and germinate happily

--
"When a true genius appears in the world, you may know him by this sign,
that the dunces are all in confederacy against him."

Jonathan Swift.

On 29/08/2022 22:42, Jeff Layman wrote:
> On 29/08/2022 21:06, Vir Campestris wrote:
>> I think it was probably 15-20 years ago that while doing some
>> landscaping a previous owner of our house spread weed control fabric
>> over a new bed, planted a buddleia, and spread wood chipping over it.
>>
>> Fast forward to now, and the bark chippings have rotted down nicely,
>> mixed with many years leaves from the buddleia. There are 3-4 inches of
>> really nice loam on top of the fabric.
>>
>> The buddleia has spotted this, as have other plants around, and now has
>> roots both above and below the fabric. In a few places it's managed to
>> get them to go through holes.
>>
>> I've spend all day digging the **** fabric up. Hopefully I won't kill
>> too much stuff.
>
> You've got it relatively easy. I've got the membrane with 5 - 6 cm of
> mid-sized pebbles covering it. I reckon they were put there 20 years
> ago, so it's now pebbles with lots of leaf mould. To plant anything I've
> got to move aside the "soil-mortared" pebbles (which isn't easy), cut
> through the membrane (I cut a large "X" and fold back the four sides),
> spread the roots of the new shrub, backfill with soil, replace the
> "X"-cut membrane up to the stem of the plant, then put back the pebbles
> and leaf mould. There's about 40 or 50 m^2 of it...
>
Hire a mini digger and have a day playing with a big Tonka Toy

--
"When a true genius appears in the world, you may know him by this sign,
that the dunces are all in confederacy against him."

Jonathan Swift.

On 30/08/2022 15:59, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
> I found wee control fabric to be a total waste of time,

TENA are said to be very good.

(Sorry, couldn't resist!)

--
Jenny M Benson
Wrexham, UK

On 30/08/2022 16:37, Jenny M Benson wrote:
> On 30/08/2022 15:59, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
>> I found wee control fabric to be a total waste of time,
>
> TENA are said to be very good.
>
> (Sorry, couldn't resist!)
>
ROFLMAO!

Excellent! I deserved that.

--
A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on
its shoes.

On 30/08/2022 16:00, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
> Hire a mini digger and have a day playing with a big Tonka Toy

That would probably not be good for the buddleia.

The hard bit is getting it out without cutting too many roots.

Andy

Vir Campestris <vir.campestris@invalid.invalid> wrote:
> On 30/08/2022 16:00, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
> > Hire a mini digger and have a day playing with a big Tonka Toy
>
> That would probably not be good for the buddleia.
>
However buddleia is pretty indestructible.

--
Chris Green
·

On 30/08/2022 21:47, Vir Campestris wrote:
> On 30/08/2022 16:00, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
>> Hire a mini digger and have a day playing with a big Tonka Toy
>
> That would probably not be good for the buddleia.
>
> The hard bit is getting it out without cutting too many roots.
>
> Andy
I have - and I dont know how - managed to kill a buddleia. Just one. Ever,

The point of the digger was simply to scrape the surface mat off. And
any shoots above it.

They are quite precise toys, once you get used to it.

--
It is the folly of too many to mistake the echo of a London coffee-house
for the voice of the kingdom.

Jonathan Swift