.jpg){kind=small}
Laying down black plastic on the soil in vegetable beds in early spring will help warm the soil before planting. Leave it there when planting as it is a good way to cut down on weeds, but it's always difficult to make holes in the plastic for the plants. Take a 3-inch diameter soup can, rinse it well and remove the label. Sharpen the open end with a bench grinder and smooth the edge with a round or half-round file. To cut the holes in the plastic first mark the cuts with a grease pencil or crayon. Then, use the can like a cookie cutter, twisting it and pressing down slightly with your palm. Voila! You have a perfect hole every time.
Ronald Duncan, Smith County Master Gardener
Texas AgriLife Extension Service