Burlap in substrate

[Ph11p3540]

Your forum answered one of my questions the go ahead for using peatmoss under gravel. Now I would like to lay a burlap fabric over this peat then cover over with 2" of gravel. This should help reduce any clouding should my stubtrate be disturbed. What I want to know is if anyone else used burlap between the substrate layers. Do the plants have the ability to pass through the burlap or would they slowly stegnate. Of course the other challange is if you want to transplant you might have to dive through the gravel with hemostats to cut way some of the burlap in order to liberate you transplant.

[devocole]

I haven't heard about using burlap but your assumption about roots getting caught up in it is probably correct. That would be enough for me not to use it. Rescaping will not be easy.

Your forum answered one of my questions the go ahead for using peatmoss under gravel. Now I would like to lay a burlap fabric over this peat then cover over with 2" of gravel. This should help reduce any clouding should my stubtrate be disturbed. What I want to know is if anyone else used burlap between the substrate layers. Do the plants have the ability to pass through the burlap or would they slowly stegnate. Of course the other challange is if you want to transplant you might have to dive through the gravel with hemostats to cut way some of the burlap in order to liberate you transplant.

[geleen]

Your forum answered one of my questions the go ahead for using peatmoss under gravel. Now I would like to lay a burlap fabric over this peat then cover over with 2" of gravel. This should help reduce any clouding should my stubtrate be disturbed. What I want to know is if anyone else used burlap between the substrate layers. Do the plants have the ability to pass through the burlap or would they slowly stegnate. Of course the other challange is if you want to transplant you might have to dive through the gravel with hemostats to cut way some of the burlap in order to liberate you transplant.

My first layer 1/4 inch was laterite mixed with gravel, then 3/4 inch of peat mixed with 10 % dirt from my flowerbed (sterilized in the oven) then 2-3 inches of gravel.

Plants do fantastic in a low light, low tech set up. While you do pull up some peat when changing plants it is easily sucktioned off and is no problem.

J

[jewels]

I am keeping an eye on this one . I too, have been considering the same thing w/ synthetic material.

I would say it depends on your motivation. How often do you move plants around? I have read the best way to remove a plant in that type of set up is to cut it off.

[jbot]

I wouldn't use anything that the plant roots could get tangled in. Not only will rescaping be a pain, but simply planting deep rooted plants will not be easy.... I would just put down the peat (a very fine layer) and top it with flourite, ecocomplete, aquasoil, or a laterite/gravel layer and leave it be. You should have sufficiently low levels of peat under the gravel that stirring it up shouldn't be a real problem.