Bujang Orchard: Covered The Trunk Areas With Plastic Layer !!!

(The orchid mat cut and laid around fruit trees)

I was a bit disturbed with those wild grass invading the trees planted at Bujang Orchard.

They seems to grow faster then those fruit trees.

Been cracking my head on how to control them especially around the tree trunks.

My first option was to scrap the grass around the trunk about 3 feet radius.

(Original idea was to remove the grass around the trunk)

This went well but the wild grass will start to colonize them within a few short weeks.

This was when I came out with the idea of putting a plastic mat around the tree trunks.

The plastic mat must be thick enough and able to prevent the sunlight from reaching the covered areas.

I went to a hardware shop and asked about the mat properties.

"Oh ya we have the 70%, 90% and 100%." he told me.

Can you be a bit more specific what do you meant by the percentages?

"The 70% will prevent the sunlight to go through while the 100% will have no light through" he answered.

Now I begin to digest.

In that case I went for the 100%.  It was a bit higher price as compared to the 70% due to production material used.

I took back the the orchard and cut them into square shape about 3'X3'.

Inserted the mat around the tree trunk and covered with some loose soil to prevent it from being blown away during heavy wind.

The mat is porous enough to allow water to seep threw when it rain.

This might be a very good idea for the moment.

Let see how it works during my nest visit.

The mat will prevent the sun light in thus will not allow those grass or seed to germinate.

This will help to keep the soil around the trunk free of wild grasses and at the same time moist the soil below it.

Never thought about this idea before and hope it will do some good the the whole orchard.

The Nangka trees trunks were all covered but not the sour-sop trees.

Will fix them during my next trip home.

My most exciting project is to treat all these trees with mycorrhizal fungi.

Already ordered a 25 kg bag and hope to apply during my next trip.

A wonderful idea and it will be good to see if the mat will make the plant grow faster then without it.