weed mats for tree plantings

[LoessHillsArcher]

We are going to use 3'x3' weedmats for our tree/shrub planting as our primary action for weedcontrol. The area we are planting it isn't possible to get a 4 wheeler or tractor on so applying herbicide by hand to the few acres would be a daunting task to do a couple times a year for the next 3+ yrs.

My question is does anyone have any suggestions to tacking down the mats? We plan on using a 6" ground staple in each corner and a couple around the base of the plant to tack down the middle. I guess some people said they had problems with the mats getting torn by wind, has anyone tried putting something on top of the mat to keep it weighed down? I was thinking dirt, some log cuttings, etc? Any tips are appreciated!

 

[turkeyriver]

I used 2ft. by 2ft. mats with a six inch staple in each corner. I wish I had sprayed them rather. Weeds and grass grow up thru the hole for the tree. 3X3 may work better for competition around the sides but mine got covered up.Wind was a problem, mostly in the second year. The biggest problem was mice nesting under the mats during the winter and girdling the seedling. I spent a lot of hours with a big string trimmer cleaning up grass and weeds around each tree. Once a year with a backpack sprayer would have been easier. Sorry to be negative about mats but they didn't work well in my situation. Be sure to fold over each corner so you staple thru a double thickness. The wind loves to catch those loose corners.

 

[LoessHillsArcher]

Thanks, we were thinking about raking away all the grass and debris before we put the mat down, hoping to keep mice out of it. Those are our concerns, mice and wind. Next time we'll have to spray the area before we put the mats down, maybe that will help grasses growing up next to the seedling. We'll give it a shot and see how it goes.