Garden curb tape for beds, lawns, flower beds

For fencing the 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. Everything that remains from construction or renovation. But the slate is fragile - they stepped on - they broke, the wood quickly collapses and loses its appearance, the metal is strong and durable, but traumatic. All in all, these materials are not perfect. There is one more type of fence - a border tape for plastic beds. It can also be used for flower beds, flower beds, lawn fencing, tracks.

Advantages and disadvantages of border tape

Note! The curb tape is durable and easy to use. It is sold in rolls. The width of the tape is from 10 cm to 60 cm. The length in a roll is from 9-10 meters to 30 meters. It can be black or green in color, sometimes dark gray, red, yellow. It can be used to fence garden beds, lawns, flower bed, to form a clear border of separation of different plantations, paths, etc.

If you want to have a well-kept area - try to make the delineation clearer

Not to be confused with a plastic curb in the form of fences, etc. We are talking specifically about plastic tape. Ready-made curbs look good, but they are fragile - touched with a foot, broken. They crumble easily if you hit them with a trimmer or hit with a lawn mower. The tape is different. She was stepped on - she bent over, then returned to her place. They hit - sprung. But this is if the border tape is dense.

You can decorate and strengthen the beds with the help of plastic border tape for the garden and vegetable garden

There are not many drawbacks to this curb - you have to buy it, then dig it in. Just placing it on top of the pegs will not give the desired effect. So, if you decide to try this type of garden fencing, you will have to do earthwork. You will need a shovel and a few hours.

Scope of use

The border tape for beds can be used anywhere in a vegetable garden, garden, area where you want to separate plants, fence them, divide the soil, etc. Here are some examples:

• a fence for a flower bed or garden bed;
• divide the planting zones of different plants on the flower bed;
• in rockeries for fencing off stones of different sizes or colors;
• for separating tracks;
• to make the limitation of the root circle in 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 serves 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: water stays inside, does not blur the edges, does not flow onto the paths.

Another benefit of using plastic curb tape to enclose beds and flower beds is that it helps to restrict plants that propagate by root growth. From 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 located at a depth of 10 cm. If you bury a plastic strip 15 cm deep, it will not penetrate into the garden bed - the roots will not grow through the plastic. And this is another plus of this fence.

Which width to choose

It is necessary to choose the border tape for the beds according to the density. It must be strong, dense and, at the same time, elastic. Try to crumple, bend, stretch the sample. With good quality plastic piping, nothing happens.

The choice is wide, but we immediately omit the cheap options.

You should immediately sweep aside cheap options. They are usually thin, poorly holding the ground, and 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 border tape from at least the middle price range. It happens in different widths - from 10 to 60 cm. The width is selected based on the area of ​​use:

• For fencing beds and flower beds, a width of 15-20 cm is suitable. It is buried 10-15 cm deep, leaving 5 cm on top. This prevents soil / mulch from spilling out, 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 enough. It is also desirable to bury it, but it is possible not to such a great depth.

These are far from binding recommendations. The data is collected according to the results of use, according to the reviews of those who have already used the border plastic tape. You can experiment yourself or voice your experience in the comments.

The width can vary. We select it depending on the intended use

If you plan to use a lawn mower or trimmer for row spacing, use the tightest band you can find. It will spring on impact, nothing will happen to it. The 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 the appearance affect the properties of the tape

Oddly enough, but the appearance of the plastic curb tape affects its quality. There are three types of bed curb tape:

• smooth with a mesh surface;
• flat with a smooth surface;
• wavy (often called a wave).

Gardeners and gardeners prefer a flat belt with a mesh surface

Of these three options, the most "unimportant" is the wave. It keeps its shape worse, bends, breaks down faster. Of the even ones, it is better with a mesh surface. This option is more durable, better holds the load, survives the winter without consequences. Of course, it all depends on the quality of the plastic, its density, but "on average" the reviews are just like 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 about the same style.

Garden curb tape usually looks simpler. These are more expensive options - an openwork curb tape and a garden side

A more practical option is a tape with a reinforced edge. This may already be more useful - it will hold its shape more rigidly.It is only important that under load (if you step with your foot, for example) the thick edge does not burst. This option with a side is ideal for getting a clear line between the lawn and gravel, path. Only mount this type flush with the ground or slightly raising it above the ground by 1-2 cm.

How to install the curb tape

As already mentioned, a wide border tape is better suited for fencing flower beds. 20 cm is the optimal size for these purposes. Around the perimeter of a flower bed or bed, a trench is dug about 15 cm deep. One side of the trench should be flat - the curb 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 falls asleep in a trench, tamping the soil with his foot. This creates a smooth border.

The curb tape is installed in a pre-dug trench

If you work alone, it will not work well, there will be some bends. This is not just an aesthetic defect - soil, water, mulch can spill out / overflow. If there are no helpers, there is another way. You need to sew the tape into a ring (drill holes with a drill, pull off with a 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. The trick here is that you can alternately pull out the pegs, better pulling the tape. When it is level, you can dig a trench, slide the plastic down the pegs, and bury it. A smooth border is guaranteed. The pegs can then be pulled out to avoid accidental injury.

Clear boundaries are exactly what makes a lawn well-groomed

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 in addition, you can fill it with earth. As you can see, all actions are of the same type, uncomplicated. The most difficult thing is the need to move the soil. The same tape, the same techniques, help with the design of the site in front of the house, the lawn. At low cost, the result is pleasing. Especially when you consider that the lifespan of the curb tape is several years.