There are disadvantages to popular landscape fabric - Jacksonville Journal-Courier

Landscape fabric. It’s what goes under the mulch. Right? I’ve had several conversations with home gardeners looking for a permanent solution to keeping the weeds down and each time I warn them about the use of landscape fabric. 

If you’re thinking, “Hang on! Landscape fabric doesn’t work?” You’ve seen people on TV and perhaps watched professional landscapers roll out the black landscape fabric before spreading mulch. And why does every garden center sell the stuff if it doesn’t work? 

Here’s the thing: Landscape fabric does help to suppress weeds, but only for a couple of years. Additionally, over time it may do more harm than good to your plants. Let’s examine the background of landscape fabric and what’s happening under the mulch. 

Landscape fabric was initially developed for the commercial world. Commercial vegetable growing and holding soil when building something structural like a retaining wall. The main selling points for landscape fabric are it is permeable, prevents weeds from growing, and is permanent. 

Let’s look at each of these points. 

Permeability 

At the store, landscape fabric usually can be found in two forms: a woven fabric created by weaving thin strips of plastic; or a spun fabric created using polyester fibers. In both cases, these landscape fabrics are somewhat porous, meaning they allow water and air to move through. Being porous is important as water and air are critical resources for plant roots. 

Over time it has been demonstrated that landscape fabric pores will trap dirt and other sediments, making them even less permeable. I’ve pulled up landscape fabric after a deep soaking rain, only to find dry soil beneath. 

Prevents weeds 

Every time you disturb the soil, you create an opportunity for weed seeds to germinate. Those seeds are already in the soil waiting for the perfect conditions to sprout. When I go in to install a new landscape bed, there is a lot of soil disturbance occurring. One way to avoid that initial flush of weeds is to cover the soil. Yes, mulch can do the trick, but most people don’t put it on thick enough and the professionals can use less mulch if they add landscape fabric on top of the soil. The fabric suppresses the weeds for a couple of years, but eventually, new weed seeds blow into the landscape bed. Or a few particularly tenacious weeds manage to grow right through the fabric. Only after a few years, pulling a weed may also bring up sections of the fabric and you’ll be cursing the stuff. 

Permanent 

While most landscape fabrics are comprised of some type of plastic fiber, they are not permanent. Some cheaper fabrics will degrade in the soil, while others get pulled up here and thereby the gardener pulling up a weed. And if you like to plant lots of annuals in your landscape beds, you will wind up with Swiss cheese landscape fabric as you must cut holes to reach the soil beneath for the plant roots. 

If you decide to ditch the fabric, it is recommended to install mulch a bit thicker for new landscape beds. Up to 6 inches thick of a coarse wood mulch such as woodchips will still allow water and air to move through while keeping the weeds down. Any weeds that grow up through that thick mulch layer should be easy to pull by hand. 

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There are disadvantages to popular landscape fabric - Jacksonville Journal-Courier
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