Anyone wondering about using landscape fabric in a garden should hear from Jess of You Can Do It Gardening (@youcandoitgardening), who posted a video that quickly shows why you should avoid it.
“We’ve got to get this trash out of your garden,” she bluntly says about the landscaping product.
@youcandoitgardening ♬ original sound – You Can Do It Gardening
Why does she refer to it as “trash”? First, it doesn’t do its job, which is why she’s handling weeds in the video.
“The seeds drop on the fabric and mulch, and they germinate,” she says.
People buy the fabric based on the myth that it will provide permanent weed control. However, it can end up spreading toxic microplastics and harmful chemicals into your soil.
Organic mulching is an effective and natural way to smother weeds. However, it goes to waste when combined with landscape fabric that blocks its nutrients from reaching the soil.
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Water and air also can’t get through, making the soil compact and impossible for beneficial microorganisms to move around.
Therefore, the material is a waste of time and money.
Luckily, one person successfully removed some and went an entire month without more weeds.
To save your yard, expect to spend some time and money on soil remediation. The hard work will be worth it, though, if you upgrade to a natural lawn in its place.
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Unlike landscape fabric, ground cover like clover and buffalo grass is excellent for the soil and overall environment.
You could also add native plants to your yard, which require much less maintenance and water than a traditional monocultural lawn, saving homeowners both time and money.
These plants have deeper roots that are resilient against environmental changes and balance ecosystems.
A yard with these plants can quickly become a haven for friendly creatures, like pollinators. Thus, removing landscape fabric to create a healthy, natural lawn goes a long way to help the food chain stay on track.
As one commenter added, “I use cardboard. Very effective and decomposes well over the season.”
Another user shared, “Landscape fabric is my biggest regret in my garden.”
“The previous owners laid at least four layers of landscape fabric like a nightmare lasagna,” a third said.
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