I've used black plastic, clear, reflective and weed cloth. They all serve a purpose and work well for particular applications. I use a drip line rated for underground use so it stays buried at the root zone year round. Since I never till more than a few inches to incorporate organic matter I don't ever need to move it. You gotta have drip if you use plastic. In my climate the plastic heats the soil by several degrees quite rapidly and also reduces watering, stops topsoil erosion, and holds amendments in place. I typically run my drip 30 mins per day during normal Spring/Summer weather. I use a cheap hose bib timer & it works great. I installed inline shut-off valves at every bed/row to eliminate the need for multiple zones. Now I just turn off the rows of anything I don't want watered. I have 3 kids & a full time job, weeding was ruining my garden experience and a combination of plastic mulches has eliminated 99% of my weeding. Good luck!
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