A gardener and Facebook user named Becca posted in a gardening group based in Calgary, Alberta, about the pitfalls of using landscape fabric, using a recent experience as an example.
“Gah!” one commenter said. “What a nightmare.”
The original poster relayed the story of how she had to dig down through two layers of landscape fabric to remove hundreds of pounds of invasive roots in order to recover the plants her client wanted to foster.
Calgary Gardening Group on Facebook
She explained that wanted plants couldn’t get beneath the landscape fabric to the healthy soil, but that the invasive roots did.
“When I tell you that landscape fabric is worthless I say this (as) an absolute,” she said.
Landscape fabric is used in gardens in an attempt to control weeds, but it often does more harm than good.
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As this gardener experienced, it can inhibit the natural growth of native plants. It can cause issues for plant and tree roots.
To make matters worse, landscape fabric is often made of plastic, which, as it degrades, can release toxic chemicals and plastic particles — microplastics — into the soil, degrading the quality of the soil and affecting the beneficial microbes and organisms a garden needs to stay healthy.
A more natural and eco-friendly solution is to create a garden with native plant species. By rewilding your yard and upgrading to a natural lawn, you can create a balanced ecosystem with natural weed control. A garden that is free from invasive species allows the native plants to thrive and attracts local pollinators. Making matters even better, native plants are adapted to the local climate and conditions, so they can thrive naturally with minimal maintenance.
Commenters shared their experiences with the invasive plant and were thankful for the information about the landscaping fabric.
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“What a lot of work,” one Facebook user commented.
“Thanks for the warning about plant fabric,” said another.
One commenter said, “thank you so much for all of the good info.”
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