Sciences North Carolina State University Muskmelons, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, squash, eggplant, watermelons, and okra are vegetable crops that have shown significant increases in earliness, yield, and fruit quality when grown on plastic mulch. Some less-valuable crops such as sweet corn, snap beans, southern peas, and pumpkins have shown similar responses. Some of the advantages and disadvantages of using plastic mulches are outlined below. Soil under plastic mulch remains loose, friable and well-aerated.
Roots have access to adequate oxygen and microbial activity is excellent.
Plant growth on mulch is often at least twice that on bare soil. The resulting larger plants will require more water, so mulching is not a substitute for irrigation. A mulched crop is cleaner and less subject to rots due to elimination of soil splashing on the plants or fruits. Plastic should be tight to promote run-off. Therefore, roots are not pruned.