It’s A War Of Weeds Out There
Plant growth is a function of available resources, pure and simple. The more resources your seedlings receive, the better chance they'll have to succeed. A major threat to seedling resources is weed competition. Tall grasses and other weeds rob seedlings of sunlight, moisture, and soil nutrients necessary for survival and growth. Seedlings without the benefit of weed control are often killed by competing vegetation in just their first seasons. Those that do survive often languish for years trying to get their share of sun, water, and food.
The image at right shows a typical situation where a seedling has been planted and left to compete with neighboring vegetation. Weeds, often with established root systems, quickly overtake seedlings to block PAR, siphon most of the soil moisture, and consume most of the soil nutrients in the vicinity of the seedling. The future for this unprotected seedling will be bleak without weed control and other protective measures.
Stopping Weeds = Bigger, Healthier Seedlings
Water Saver Weed Mats grow your seedlings faster, bigger, and healthier because they maximize growth resources for your young seedlings. Here’s how: First, Water Saver absorbs incoming PAR sunlight and blocks this light from reaching the soil below. Blocking sunlight beneath the mat kills weeds underneath and also prevents germination of any weed seeds that may be present. The result is that your seedlings get all the sunlight they need to get growing fast and strong.
Stopping weeds is only the beginning. Water Saver, as its name implies, also stops soil moisture lost to evaporation on bare soils and to competing weeds that can’t grow under the weed mat. Water Saver’s impervious layers also block evaporative loss and recycle moisture back into the soil when the sun warms the mat and top layer of soil. By contrast, porous materials like woven and perforated weed barriers can wick moisture away from the root zone during the heat of the day. This occurs as moisture comes to the soil surface and water molecules escape through openings in the material. In the end, Water Saver delivers more moisture to your seedlings, and more moisture means better growth.
While Water Saver is busy locking in precious H2O, it’s also preserving critical soil nutrients that could otherwise be lost to weed roots. Again, more resources for your seedlings—this time food—means better growth.
Water Saver & SunFlex – Protection And Growth From The Ground Up!
Stopping weeds, slashing moisture loss, and preserving nutrients is all in a day’s work for Water Saver Weed Mats. When paired with Plantra’s exclusive SunFlex Tree Grow Tube System, the benefits multiply exponentially. Fully protected at ground level, all the resources allocated to the seedling by Water Saver are channeled into seedling growth above. This growth is protected by a one-of-a-kind greenhouse grow tube microclimate that grows bigger, healthier trees while protecting from critters that eat and kill young tree seedlings.
Please Note: While Water Saver Weed Mats work equally well with conifer (evergreen) or deciduous (broadleaf) tree and shrub seedlings, SunFlex Grow Tubes are designed for use with deciduous tree seedlings only. If your goal is to protect conifer (evergreen) seedlings, please pair Water Saver with Plantra’s Rigid Mesh Tubes.
Stop Weeds And Get Growing!
When you plan your next planting, or maybe try to rescue one that's in trouble, don't forget to get the weeds under control. The image below summarizes the problem and options to succeed. Put Water Saver to work in your field and get your seedlings off and running with the sun.
