[FarmerShawn]

What I've read is that if you really want to heat the soil, use clear plastic. Black will help some, but only where it contacts the soil directly, and not very deeply. But clear plastic will be no help at all for weed suppression. Red, I've read, helps tomatoes some in the south, but not noticeably in the north. I plant almost everything now in either black plastic or landscape fabric, using drip tape for irrigation under both. Soil must be fertilized and prepped before planting, because adding it later isn't really an option. I do prefer the fabric, because it is reusable, and I feel guilty using the plastic. though I am switching to biodegradable plastic (made from corn starch) for much of it. It's more expensive, but I feel less guilty. Weeding is almost a thing of the past, though pathways are still a problem for me. The nicest option is 15' wide fabric, which covers several rows and pathways, and all my tomatoes and a few other things go in that. Making appropriate holes to plant in is one issue. That's why I still use the plastic, or the biodegradable. For the pathways that remain uncovered, I just let the weeds grow (my version of cheap cover cropping) and I keep the pathways weedwhacked to minimize seed production.