• Plastic mulches suppress weeds and conserve water for growing crops.vegetables image by david hughes from Fotolia.com
  
  Plastic mulch is an artificial mulching material used to suppress weeds and conserve water. It is widely used by commercial growers because of significant advantages to growing crops utilizing plastic mulches, such as reduced irrigation needs due to soil retaining moisture and earlier planting times. Crops grow through holes in the plastic mulch, and the layer of plastic over the soil keeps fruits and vegetables clean and reduces damage due to soil rot. Plastic mulch is sold by the roll and available in a range of colors. Biodegradable plastic mulches are also available, although costs are significantly higher.
  
  

Plastic Films

• Plastic mulch is supplied by the roll and is a plastic film of varying thickness, manufactured from low density polyethylene (LDPE). The width of plastic mulch varies from 3 foot to 6 feet, and surface textures can be slick or embossed. Embossed plastic mulch is more resistant to cracking and wind fatigue. A mulch-laying machine is an essential piece of equipment needed to lay plastic mulch.
  
  

Colored Plastic Mulch

• Plastic mulches can warm the soil so crops develop early.Crop rows image by Jim Mills from Fotolia.com
  
  Plastic mulch comes in different colors. Black plastic mulch is the most popular commercial mulch as lack of light to the soil prevents the growth of weeds. Clear plastic mulch has the highest capacity for soil warming, so is used for early planting. Clear plastic mulch does not suppress weeds, so herbicide application is also necessary. White or aluminum mulches reflect the sun's heat and can be used where soil cooling is desired. According to Dean McCraw and James Motes of Oklahoma State University Horticulture Department, white or aluminum plastic mulch "also repels aphids which spread some virus diseases in vine crops." Wavelength-selective mulch, or near-infrared-transmitting mulch (IRT), is a hybrid development which displays the benefits of black and clear mulch; this is available in a range of colors.
  
  

Degradable Mulch Films

• Degradable mulch films are more widely available due to the environmental costs of traditional plastic mulches. Degradable mulches are available in white or black color and in different thicknesses. Costs for biodegradable mulches are still higher than the traditional LDPE films, but results are comparable, particularly for the black mulch. Degradable mulches are biodegradable; breakdown is caused by biological organisms in the soil, or photo-degradable; sunlight causes the plastic to break down. The use of degradable mulches cuts the costs of removing traditional LDPE mulch from soil at the end of the season.