In the fall, these materials can be tilled into the soil. These materials decay slowly and should last for several years. Black plastic is most commonly used in the vegetable garden. Plants or seeds are set in holes made in the plastic. Black plastic controls weeds, but it also promotes plant growth and early yields of warm-season vegetable crops.
Black plastic is a poor mulch for landscape plantings.
Plastics can trap excessive amounts of water in the soil during wet weather, damaging trees and shrubs. The porous landscape mats, however, allow water and air to pass through them. The mats are placed on the ground and then covered with wood chips or shredded bark. Iowa State University , Ames, Iowa. This information subject to a usage policy .