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Texas Gardening

anti weed fabric under mulch..Keep or remove?

13 years ago

I am looking for opinions on the usefulness of an old fabric underlay. Should I remove it and place fresh fabric down and remulch,? leave it alone, or remove it and remulch?

Background info: I am relandscaping my backyard due to the flower beds are now part shade to filter sun. All the beds are established and I put the underlay in around 2004. I routinely used live oak leaves and purchased mulch annually in my beds. Now I have in places a six inch layer of leaves, mulch, and this beautiful earthworm rich humus soil above the fabric. There isnt a weed problem so much as runners from the oaks which seem to work thier way through no matter what.

It seems to me I am preventing natural compost from getting deeper into the soil. But the fabric seems to help prevent the ground from drying out. Anyone have thoughts or similar experiences? Thanks for your help.

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Comments (6)

wantonamara Z8 CenTex
13 years ago
I always heard that the landscape fabric will break down and become shredded plastic and a big headache to remove. Rug or cardboard are better because when they breakdown, they become mulch. Me, I am a cheapskate, so I like to get cardboard from a solar panel installer. They are big, heavy and not much printing on them. I have also gone and gotten large sheets from the recycler to. I use cardboard in my vegetable garden to keep the grass out of between my raised beds.
melvalena
13 years ago
I yank out landscape fabric every time I run into it. I pull out as much as I can as I go along planting.

I've never put it in myself except in one place that is covered in pea gravel.
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linda_tx8
13 years ago
A professional grade landscape fabric will not become shredded plastic, but very cheap plastic types might. Just a thick layer of mulch is best for the soil...depends on what you like best, however.
roselee z8b S.W. Texas
13 years ago
From what you say it seems the landscape fabric has outlived its usefulness. On one hand it's not deterring weeds anymore since the deep mulch itself is doing that, but on the other hand it's not really hurting anything by staying there except maybe deterring the earth worms from traveling up and down in the different layers of soil depending on the temperature and moisture. I'd be inclinded to take it out to allow, as you say, the mulch (and the earthworms) to benefit the deeper layers of soil in which the tree roots grow. Like Melva the only place I have it is under pea gravel areas. Happy gardening!
Sub_Tex
13 years ago
I only use it on new beds converted from grass.
I get rid of it when I replant in established gardens. However if I have "wide open" space with weed problems I use a coupla layers of newspaper covered with mulch.
stops weeds newspaper is gone by next season
pjtexgirl
13 years ago
I've only seen it work in arid areas (as in desert with tumbleweeds). It doesn't work here in Fort Worth at all.

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