When son uses the black cloth mulch and plants annuals, we just cuts an X and then digs the hole for the plant. After planting, just fold the X back next to the plant. This process will work for the peppers and tomatoes, but not sure about the onions, but it should.

The row cover sounds interesting.

Marla

Here are a series of videos i did on how to lay drip tape and landscape fabric. you will have to use drip irrigation with this or your crops will not get enough water

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tG8hZEM1arc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLxx-W35ZEk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNvbWXemf8k
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbF2yWcfXvM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rBqdzGRS7g

sorry about requiring people to cut, copy and paste these URL's but that's the price we pay to use this forum

B.B.---we use a 1/2 inch--15 mil drip tape with 12 inch spacing. we use a main line in-line filter. our pump pressure is to high so we have a inline regulator to obtain 25 lbs.avg. we have a dripper-flow rate of .7 gallons per hour.
Also a vert. green machine pro fert. injector with a 20 gallon tank set with 1/2 inch I/O which works with our min. flow rate of .5 gallon per minute and max of .8 gallon per minute with a max. water pressure of 28lbs.
mark.
I buy the tape in 500 ft rolls for around 40 bucks.

we do not use fabric but we use blk. plastic 1 mil. 48 inch wide mulch.

we use a small torch to burn holes into the landscape fabric. We do not use this for onions as we space them really close of direct seed them but i have seen the holes and they are about an inch or so around

Cowpie - where do you buy your drip tape? The price seems reasonable -I think much less than we paid.

Thanks.

ek grows, the drip store online is one of

this company also is around same price. but i have never used them.
http://www.mrdrip.com/driptape.htm

mark.

Here is a link that might be useful: drip tape source

Thanks Mark. We have always used dripworks - I'll have to compare prices. I do have a hard time with drip with the woven ground cloth. We lay the tape, then the cloth. I use a razor knife to cut planting holes, and almost always cut the tape. My boss had to finally upgrade to a thick "erika-proof" tape - which I might nick, but not slice in half :)

ekgrows, We make the holes before we lay the mulch and it is far easier to burn the holes in with a tiny torch than cut them. Burning takes about 1/4 the time and it a lot easier on the back. We will do several rolls at a time, burn holes than cut to length. Takes a couple of hours but we do this job maybe every 3 to 5 years as we don't have to replace the landscape mulch every year or even every 3 years.

oh and you don't cut your drip tapes ;-p

Nolt's Produce Supply is where we get our drip tape and landscape fabric

I enjoyed this thread.I decided this year to go with a woven reuseable cloth myself this year.I was just going to cut the old "x" with a razor knife.But you say burning?
I bought mine from www.amleo.com