Lightweight nonwovens are used extensively in agriculture for crop protection and can be equally effective in this role at home.
They not only protect delicate plants from night frost, but also from the ravages of insects and strong sunlight. They can also be used to keep both insects and animals away from vegetable patches, and are particularly effective with potatoes and strawberry crops. At the same time, they level off temperatures while draining away surface water and allowing the free exchange of vapours and gases. As a consequence, they totally eliminate condensation – unlike most polythene sheet protection products.
For garden beds and rockeries, nonwovens allow water, fertiliser and air to penetrate the soil from above, while blocking out harmful light and at the same time stopping weeds rising from below – the fabrics hold water and provide a constant soil temperature for optimum growing conditions.
In the creation of long-lasting driveways, a nonwoven layer also allows water to easily penetrate through to prevent any skidding of the car, while under flagstones on terraces, it prevents the possibility of anthills, while ensuring there is no uneven paving.
Ponds are another area of the garden in which nonwoven layers can play a role, in preventing stones and other sharp objects from puncturing the pond’s membrane and allowing water to escape.
Then there is the issue of avoiding damage caused by big tree roots, which spread horizontally, and can be several metres away from the trunk of a large tree. These roots can suddenly come to the surface and ruin paved areas – something a nonwoven ‘root hamper’ – planted vertically into the ground – can control.
Nonwoven agrotextiles can be an ideal solution for providing ground reinforcement within tree protection areas too. They confine fill material within their strong but flexible cell structure, in order to provide a stable base for traffic and an even road distribution. At the same time, they are permeable and allow the lateral movement of air and water, making them suitable for permanent woodland trails, paths, driveways, roads and parking areas.
They can also be used as temporary ground reinforcements where access to a site is limited by the presence of trees. Once operations on site are completed, the temporary surface can easily be removed and the ground left undamaged.
Tree roots growing underneath roads, drives and lawns frequently lift or crack the surface, making repairs necessary, and they can cause further damage by undermining foundations and service pipes.
Nonwoven fabrics can provide effective protection of pipes, surfaces and structures against root damage.
Meanwhile, nonwoven capillary mats mean no returning home from holiday to dead plants – by functioning as an automatic watering system.
These products can be used anywhere there is a sink, with a strip placed in a water source and the other end under the plant’s pot.
Capillary mats are also ideal for individual plant cultivation in flower boxes or pots, placed between the expanded clay pellets and the planting soil to provide better drainage and root development.
All of these products will be showcased at INDEX 11 which takes place at Palexpo in Geneva, Switzerland, from April 12-15 2011.
