We live in zone 5, pretty much on the line between 5a and 5b, in East Central Illinois and have a community plot we rent over the whole year. The surrounding area (not the other garden plots or the park the plots are in) has quite a few weeds and trash. The plots are at the edge of the park. I was thinking about covering our plot with some black plastic to warm soil for spring and try and control, a bit, anything that gets blown in and then take off the plastic in the spring when we start planting. I've heard elsewhere of folk doing this very successfully. I'm wondering if I should poke some small holes in the plastic to let in water over the winter or is it o.k. to dry out over winter as the soil freezes around here?