I have one that is black and shiney on the top with like a fabric on the bottom. This one is by far the most supierior for NOT allowing the weeds to grow but seems to keep the beds and or soil the driest though!!! And in season's where it's rained alot, seemes to allow the water to sit on top of the fabric..and seems to keep too much water near some of the plants.

I have one that's a very thick weave fabric and that one's mediocor (sp) for both weeds and water, so I think that's my pick, for maintence. Allows water in for hardly no extra watering in rainy seasons and weeds are very tiny in growth.

I have another one that is very thin, see thru (you can see your hand through it) and let's all the rain water through, so no extra watering but s*cks as far as keeping the weeds down. I have to get the mower out for that one! LOL

I'd like to see if I can afford the new red one out on the market. And try that one, it's suppose to bounce the UVA rays or something back at the plant and havest is suppose to increase.

Anyone use that stuff?????

Please remember, what I'm about to say is based on my own experience only, and the opinions I've formed from that experience - OK?
Every type of landscape fabric I've tried, (and I've tried several) has ended up being more trouble than it's worth. I've not only had the water issues, but they all begin to degrade at some point (sometimes a few years) and when they have to be replaced, I've found that every type I've used (whether they prevented weeds or not) has been a PAIN to remove! Even if the weeds don't grow thru, the fabric becomes imbedded with hair-like roots, tears apart when you don't want it to, and you end up removing it one small piece at a time.
For me, several layers of newspaper covered with mulch, works best. It breaks down completely, doesn't have to be removed to be replaced, and the price is definitely right!

As for the red stuff, I read several ads and articles (some were even university research) about it last year, and was very curious. It just so happened that I had some red plastic here of the same consistency as what they were selling, so this spring I did an experiment with 3 of my tomato plants. The red plastic kept the weeds down as well as black plastic and other mulches, but these plants did not produce any sooner, nor was the yield any higher than my "control" plants. I chalked it up to experience, was glad I didn't spend any money on the stuff.

Those are my experiences, I'd be interested to hear what others think.

With were I have it, I have absolutely nothing on top of the fabric!! It's clean and hardly stained as I also did the upside down juice and milk container watering idea this year and there is virtually no dirt splash at all. I guess I should have worded that in there.
I tried the news paper, I do that for my perennials, roses, daylilly beds, strawberry beds, All the time, love the idea.
But again, I probly should have worded it, the observation was for my raised veggies bed. Not for flowers. I would never use that stuff for flowers. Only veggies...........
The reason I don't use the news paper for the veggie bed is one reason only, when you put a decent amount on to prevent the weeds, it's sort of thick, (and does it's job) but when I need to work the bed up for spring the following year, I have to peel it all back up to get the tiller in there or else it gets wrapped around the tines and/or it's mush from the winter, and snow and water and break down. So, I learned not to do that for the veggies....
I actually hate the fabric, but I have that semptoria wilt and a few other soil born diseases in the dirt and I have to have the dirt covered.!!!
Very interesting about the red mulch paper.
I wasn't sure, about it, but I was wondering for the raised beds that I did, because the beds seem to heat up a bit too much in the early summer there before we started getting our rain, the spring was so hot and dry the back yard was so cracked it looked like August time. And the leaves of the tomatoes curled under to like shade it's roots it was so hot, especially being a raised bed, heats up and retains heat, then having the black fabric, I know how it absorbs heat.... That's why I was wondering about it.
Of course every year is different, put stuff in the soil to keep it moist and it rains too much, don't put it in and you're watering every 5 minutes. Go figure!!!
Thanks for the input!!
I appreciate it!!!

Sounds like a real nightmare with the peat moss and the bb balls! I agree with you about not using peat moss only - but you know how some people are - if a little is good, ALOT must be better!

Okay, your explanation has me understanding your point better. I can see where the fabric would work with the raised veggie beds. I'm curious, tho, how is the fabric holding up to the sun? I've never tried it without covering it with some sort of mulch.

Now, using the red "stuff" to help keep down excess heat would probably work. It's true that it doesn't get as hot as the black, just don't believe those claims about higher and earlier yields.

I guess everything has it's drawbacks - I like to use black plastic in the veggie garden in the very early spring, to heat up the soil. (I'm _so_ impatient) But... with all the rain we get then, the plastic keeps the soil so wet that if you dig it at all, you've got a clumpy, cloddy mess all season!

Just gotta figure out the pros and cons, I guess...