is it ok to put a tarp over your garden and cut holes out for the plant to come threw?
No, instead there is a product made called landscape fabric, it comes in different widths and thickness and is generally used for this. After putting this down you would mulch between the plants .You can also use old newspaper with hay on top, its cheap and can be tilled in at the end of the season. What ever you use you want your dirt to breath and water to reach the soil. old carpeting will also do a good job of keeping the weeds down.
you can but the bigger the hole the more weeds you gotta pull means more work you might be better the let the roots grow thru the tarp
sure. but realize that your plants may not get water as well this way since most will run off the edges of the tarp. additionally harmful chemicals from the plastic and bleed into the soil which your plants will absorb and you will ultimately eat. If you are looking to mulch and weedcontrol, then I find grass clippings from the lawn and mulched leaves work best. blow the grass from the lawn mower inside the mowing area to pile it up, then rake and apply to garden about 2-3 inches deep. This also keeps the soil very moist around your plants and can be tilled or turned into the soil in the fall for organic growth. Reapply as needed, no amount is too much.
Home and garden centers sell Weed-Block, which you put down over the ground to keep the weeds down. You can cut holes in the Weed-Block where you want to put your plants. Then you cover over the Weed-Block with bark or other covering.
