Looks can be deceiving. Landscape fabric might appear to be a simple way to suppress weeds, but one gardener’s experience reveals it can create an “absolute nightmare” situation.
The scoop
Angela (@thearcadiaprojectnj), a certified permaculturist and TikToker, laid out how she discovered the issues with the product on her gravel paths.
@thearcadiaprojectnj For years I have felt like I was pulling the same weeds over and over again in the exact same locations, in my garden pathways. Rye grass, crab grass, goldenrod. I would pull weeds for hours and two days later they’d be back. I used high-quality landscaping fabric and gravel in my pathways—and it was stunning and weed-free for a couple of months. Then it became a nightmare to keep weed-free. It was during a random conversation with a family member that I discovered the problem… landscaping fabric. I pulled it up and waited a month before creating and sharing this video to make sure this really worked. And it’s been a complete game-changer. So if landscaping fabric is a no-go, what to use in the future? I’ll be sticking with heavy-sheet-mulching with cardboard, compost and soil. This approach hasn’t steered me wrong yet in creating growing spaces. In the future, I’ll do the same on walkways, personally. #weedfree #naturalgardening #homestead #gardeningtip #gardeningtips ♬ original sound – thearcadiaprojectnj
As the video’s caption describes, Angela was pulling nuisances like goldenrod and rye grass in the same spots on a near-daily basis. She turned to what seemed to be a quick fix — landscaping fabric.
That worked for a couple of months, but then the problem got even worse, devolving into the stuff of nightmares. Fortunately, she had a savvy gardener in her midst.
Her father-in-law told her that the solution to her gravel path being overrun with unwanted grass and weeds was, counterintuitively, removing the fabric. Angela explained that after some short-term gains on the path, landscape fabric will trap grass and weeds by acting as an anchor.
In the video, you can see that the removed landscape fabric does contain a webbed mishmash of weeds and grass. As a result, over time, the top has weeds and grass sprouting out and being an active menace.
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Research backed up Angela’s father-in-law’s advice, and after a month, she said the quantity of grasses and weeds was way down. Angela said in her caption that her alternative path was “heavy-sheet-mulching with cardboard, compost and soil.”
“Can’t recommend it enough, it’s life-changing,” she concluded on the idea of ditching landscaping fabric for different solutions.
How it’s helping
Angela’s experience illuminates why it’s a better long-term move to avoid landscaping fabrics at all costs. Gardeners can save money and time by avoiding this pitfall.
That will make for a more pleasant experience, so gardeners can tap into the activity’s numerous benefits, such as saving on produce costs, enjoying better-tasting fruits and vegetables, and enhancing mental and physical health.
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It is also better for the natural environment, as landscaping fabric can shed microplastics and chemicals into the soil over time.
What everyone’s saying
The community backed Angela’s frustration with landscape fabric.
“Worst thing I ever did,” one shared.
Another shared: “Before we moved here, a landscaper used the fabric and I hate it! It causes so many problems.”
The community did offer their own solutions for the path that didn’t involve a future nemesis like the fabric.
A user offered: “Try throwing down cardboard instead of landscape fabric!”
“I use pine needles,” another TikToker said. “No issues.”
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