Danny when you do a test like this never consider the negative result (in this case clear plastic) a failure or a waste. You have verified to yourself and your viewers that the way to go is Black Plastic. Thank you for running this test and have a Blessed day on your homestead.

Jean martin uses clear plastic to germinate weed seeds in fall, then covers with black plastic from winter to spring to kill germinated seeds and pulls in the spring for planting

Not to be negative or anything but I just did an experiment and found that the clear worked very well. From your video it appears that the black plastic was in the sun more of the day than the clear. Perhaps that is a contributor to the results. I know that from what I've read about soil solarization that using clear plastic requires full sun. The black plastic that I used was in a section that didn't get as much sun and there is a ton of grass under it. So I believe that based on what I've seen in your videos and my own experience this summer that the biggest factor is actually how much sun the area receives.

I use Dish washing detergent with water on my plants as they grow and give them a weekly dose to the end of their growing cycle to deal with the nematodes !

I've also used a tarp. One that has brown or black on one side, and silver on the other side. Place it with the silver side down. Works great!

actually it works best to use both... black on the ground below, then pop cans or other spacer then clear plastic- really heats up!

Very interesting.

This video alone, regardless of it being 2 years old, was worth the price of admission (aka subscription)! Your test gave me renewed faith in solarization. Last summer I bought some thick clear, really white, plastic and attempted to solarize several raised beds between July and September. I was disappointed that massive weeds were present after removing the plastic. l thought the whole solarization process was maybe BS. Now I realize that my mistake was using clear rather than black plastic.

Thank you for this because websites on this process said to use clear. I’m glad I watched your video!!

Do you have a link for the black plastic you use?

Morning Danny and Thank You for taking the time to do this experiment and prove Black plastic is the way to go. I was worried a little when you started this experiment, I have always used the black plastic and have told others to use it over the years as well as here on You Tube. I never thought to do a comparison like you have done. It was nearly 40 years ago when ole Garner told me to use Black plastic when I was first starting my veggie operations in Southern Tennessee. I had weeds knee high, diseases and pests that were just destroying everything over the course of the growing season. Ole Garner watched me struggle for a few months and then one day he came over and looked things over and said boy you are working to hard and not to smart. At first I was getting a little offended, but I held back my anger and let him finish what he was going to tell me anyways like he always did. Garner continued and told me if I did not want to fight the weeds, bugs and diseases to till up all my land in the fall and cover it with the Black plastic.Then come spring lay out where you want your rows and cut the plastic back and plant, but leave the plastic in between the rows. Well at that point I was ready to do anything, so that fall I did as he said. Well he was right, my weed pressure was way less, I had less disease and pests too. So from that year forward I continued it. I took that old man's advice without question, but if I had paid any attention when I moved to the area. I would of noticed he used the black plastic all over his place and I will say his place looked like something that could of been on the cover of Southern Homes and Gardens. But I was 22 years old then and thought I knew everything about modern gardening and farming. Well over the years I would learn time and again I did not know everything and that old man knew a lot that was not in books and taught at the AG Universities. So again I thank you for spending the money and time to prove this out. You and Wanda take care, I will be recommending people stop by your Channel to watch this just like I do for the others things y'all do here. So stay safe and God Bless You and Wanda.

Thanks Bro Danny for taking us along on the test journey! Your a great teachers you both are. if I ‘m ever blessed with a area to garden your tips will be included in the growing process.

This has been very surprising and helpful DSH. You dedicated a lot of time to this experiment for all your followers. Thank you. 🦋💜

Thank you so much for doing this! And explaining the process you use to prep your soil...it is appreciated more than you know or realize. HAVE A FABULOUS DAY!

Danny, I live in Alabama (UCLA, the Ugly Corner Of Lower Alabama) in the southeast corner of the state near Dothan. Several years ago I had a terrible problem with nematodes and nut grass in my garden. I took clear plastic (because that is what I had) and put it over the garden, but I raised the plastic with reeds so that it was about 6 inches off of the dirt. I left it for 6 weeks between middle March and the beginning of May. It killed all of the nut grass and it seemed to take care of the nematode problem also. I think that by raising the plastic, it got much hotter than by just laying it on the ground. I don't know how hot the ground got during that time, but I could watch the nut grass being burned under the clear plastic. As soon as I pulled the plastic off, I planted okra and every hill came up. Also, to control nematodes, I never plant the same crops in the same place, especially tomatoes , corn and other plants that are susceptible to nematodes.

Thank you both so, so much for doing this experiment. These results make a huge impact on what I will use.

I appreciate the test! Looking for some black silage tarps now to start prepping my garden area.

Great experiment Danny. Thanks for sharing your results!

Thanks for the series adn bringing us along. :) IF someone needs a greenhouse effect, clear plastic can help, but for everything else, seeing the black plastic top it all is an energy and time saver.

Thanks, Danny, just going to try my first tarp on my new Tennessee property, starting from a lawn.