A gardening post on Reddit is proving that some “easy” yard hacks simply aren’t worth the trouble.
The post, shared with the r/gardening community, is getting attention for exposing a common landscaping mistake that’s left many homeowners frustrated — and digging for answers.
Titled “Why I’ll never use landscape fabric again,” the user shared side-by-side photos comparing two small garden holes just a few feet apart.
Photo Credit: Reddit
One area had been covered with wood mulch, while the other included landscape fabric underneath. Two years later, the difference in soil quality is night and day.
“The uncovered area now has soft dark crumbly soil,” the user wrote. “The covered area remains heavy hard clay, but still grew as many weeds because of the decomposing wood chips on top.”
The post resonated with fellow gardeners who’ve also dealt with the long-term headaches of using synthetic weed barriers.
One commenter wrote, “I hate hate hate landscaping fabric. It’s everywhere and so hard to dig out. Done with plastic in my garden.”
Others noted the environmental and practical downsides.
“Most weed seeds are airborne so putting down landscape fabric will do nil but compact the soil, as you witnessed,” another replied. “A good thick mulch layer is all you need.”
Beyond being a waste of time and money, landscape fabric can harm your yard in the long run by restricting airflow and water movement, leading to compacted, unhealthy soil. That’s especially bad news for anyone looking to build a low-maintenance, sustainable lawn.
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Luckily, there are better alternatives. Replacing even part of your grass lawn with native plants can drastically cut down on yard work and water bills. These options don’t just save time and money — they also support pollinators, which are essential to our food system.
As one gardener put it, “Landscaping fabric is the worst. The previous owner put it down, and the result was the same as you have here — compacted horrible soil underneath.”
Their solution? Rip it out, go natural, and let the soil breathe again.
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