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For fencing beds, flower beds and paths, you need to use some kind of material. In regions where wood is cheap, boards are often used, while in others you can see anything: slate, metal, ondulin, etc. All that remains of construction or renovation. But the slate is fragile – they stepped – they broke it, the wood quickly collapses and loses its appearance, the metal is strong and durable, but traumatic. In general, all these materials are not ideal. There is another type of fence – a border tape for plastic beds. It can also be used for flower beds, flower beds, lawn fencing, paths.
Advantages and disadvantages of curb tape
Note! Curb tape is durable and easy to use. It is sold in rolls. Tape width – from 10 cm to 60 cm. Roll length – from 9-10 meters to 30 meters. The color can be black or green, sometimes dark gray, red, yellow. It can be used to fence beds, lawns, flower beds, to form a clear boundary between different plantings, paths, etc.
Do not confuse with a plastic border in the form of fences, etc. We are talking about plastic tape. Finished borders look good, but they are fragile – they hurt with a foot, they broke. They crumble easily if you touch them with a trimmer or hit with a lawn mower. Tape is different. She was stepped on – she bent over, then returned to her place. They hit it – it sprang. But this is if the border tape is dense.
There are not so many drawbacks to this curb – you have to buy it, then dig it in. Just setting it on top of the pegs will not give the desired effect. So, if you decide to try this type of garden fence, you will have to carry out earthworks. You will need a shovel and a few hours of time.
Scope of use
Bed edging tape can be used anywhere in the garden, orchard, area where you want to separate plants, enclose them, divide the soil, etc. Here are some examples:
- fence for flower beds or beds;
- in the flower bed, divide the planting zones of different plants;
- in rockeries for fencing off stones of different sizes or colors;
- for separating tracks;
- make a restriction of the root circle of trees for better watering and fertilization.
The use of border tape for beds and flower beds makes the site more neat and well-groomed. This plastic fence performs not only a decorative role, but also a practical one. For example, fertilizers do not disappear from a fenced garden bed, mulch holds well in it and does not crumble anywhere. It is also easier with watering: the water remains inside, does not blur the edges, does not flow out onto the paths.
Another plus of using plastic edging tape for bordering beds and flower beds is that it helps to limit plants that propagate by root shoots. Of the cultivated plants, these are raspberries, mint. If we talk about weeds, then buried 15 cm deep, it helps to fight wheatgrass. Its roots are mainly at a depth of up to 10 cm. If you bury a plastic strip 15 cm deep, it will not penetrate into the bed – the roots do not germinate through the plastic. And this is another plus of this fence.
Which width to choose
It is necessary to choose a border tape for beds by density. It must be strong, dense and, at the same time, elastic. Try to wrinkle, bend, stretch the sample. Nothing will happen with a good quality plastic edging.
Immediately it is worth brushing aside cheap options. They are usually thin, do not hold the ground well, can break and crumble. It is simply not worth spending money on them – after the first wintering, nothing remains of them. Only fragments of plastic that no longer hold anything and only spoil the appearance.
You need to choose a curb tape from at least the average price range. It happens in different widths – from 10 to 60 cm. The width is selected based on the area of uXNUMXbuXNUMXbuse:
- A width of 15-20 cm is suitable for fencing beds and flower beds. It is buried 10-15 cm deep, leaving 5 cm on top. This keeps the soil/mulch from spilling out and keeps water in place when watering.
- If you want to protect the root zone of trees, it is better to take an even wider one – 30-35 cm or more, depending on the type and size of the tree, soil, groundwater level, etc.
- To mark the paths, a width of 15 cm is sufficient. It is also desirable to bury it, but it can not be to such a great depth.
These are far from mandatory recommendations. The data is collected based on the results of use, according to the reviews of those who have already used plastic border tape. You can experiment yourself or voice your experience in the comments.
If you plan to use a lawn mower or trimmer for row spacing, use the thickest tape you can find. It will bounce on impact, nothing will happen to it. Density can be determined by touch, but what if you are going to buy online? How to determine how thick the tape is? The first indicator is thickness. Some manufacturers indicate it. The second is mass. The more a roll of the same width and length weighs, the greater the density of the plastic. Well, and, of course, you can read the reviews. Usually, negative points are described and it will be possible to understand how this type is suitable for your goals.
Does Appearance Affect Ribbon Properties?
Oddly enough, but the appearance of the plastic curb tape affects its quality. There are three types of border tape for beds:
- flat with a mesh surface;
- flat with a smooth surface;
- wavy (often called a wave).
Of these three options, the most “unimportant” is the wave. It holds its shape worse, bends, collapses faster. Of the even ones, it is better with a mesh surface. This option is more durable, holds the load better, survives the winter without consequences. Of course, it all depends on the quality of the plastic, its density, but the “average” reviews are just that.
There is also a plastic tape for borders with different “bells and whistles”. For example, there is an option with an openwork edge. Of course, you need to look at the quality of the plastic and the density, but this type can be used to fence the “front” flower beds. This is if other decorations on the site are approximately in the same style.
Of the more practical options – tape with a reinforced edge. It may already be more useful – it will hold its shape more rigidly. It is only important that under load (if you step on it with your foot, for example), the thick edge does not burst. This edging option is ideal for creating a clear line between lawn and gravel. Only this type is mounted flush with the ground or slightly raised above the ground by 1-2 cm.
How to install curb tape
As already mentioned, a wide border tape is better suited for fencing beds, flower beds. 20 cm is the optimal size for these purposes. A trench about 15 cm deep is dug along the perimeter of a flower bed or garden bed. One side of the trench should be flat – a border tape is pressed against it.
It is more convenient to bury it together. The edge is fixed in some way (drive in a peg, attach the edge of the tape to it with staples), then one pulls, the second fills the trench, tamping the soil with your foot. This results in an even border.
If you work alone, you won’t be able to pull it well, there will be some bends. This is not just an aesthetic defect – soil, water, mulch can spill out / pour out. If there are no assistants, there is another way. It is necessary to sew the tape into a ring (drill holes with a drill, tighten with wire), find metal or wooden pegs. Spread the tape around the proposed bed, hammer in two pegs at the end of the bed on one side, take the other two pegs, pull the tape, hammer them. Here the trick is that you can alternately pull out the pegs, better pulling the tape. When it is even, you can dig a trench, move the plastic down the pegs, bury it. Guaranteed to get a smooth border. The pegs can then be pulled out so as not to get hurt inadvertently.
To form fences around already growing trees, they are dug in, forming a trench of the required depth in a circle. We put the tape in the trench. It is better to make two turns, fasten along the upper edge with a stapler and staples. In this form, the fence is strong enough, but you can additionally cover it with earth. As you can see, all actions are of the same type, simple. The most difficult thing is the need to move the soil. The same tape, the same techniques, help in the design of the area in front of the house, the lawn. At a small cost, the result is pleasing. Especially when you consider that the service life of the curb tape is several years.