Weeds over landscape fabric-help!
Lesa Palmer
7 years ago
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lisanti07028
7 years agokimmq
7 years agoRelated Discussions
Landscape Fabric/Weed Barrier
Comments (14)Question about my use of the landscape fabric: I created a new plant/mulch bed in my frontyard, cutting out existing lawn area. I just applied grass&weed killer to the area yesterday. Then, I began putting down the landscape fabric. My soil in the mulch bed is awful, as is my lawn......like concrete. But I digress. Presently, there are a few small birch/evergreen trees in the bed, which has a large boulder in the middle, and daylilies on the front side of the boulder. My plan was to add a few inches of screened loam to the bed to raise it up a bit and provide good soil for future plantings. I was going to just add the loam and mulch this summer and probably wait until next year to put in new plants (budgetary constraints). Well, I just began putting down the landscape fabric on top of the cruddy existing soil. And then I was going to add a few inches of screened loam on top of the landscape fabric, and then 3-4 inches of hemlock mulch. Um, did I screw up something here? Should I wait until I put the loam down first before laying down the landscape fabric? Upon review, I am thinking that, while the landscape fabric as laid down right now may prevent the grass/weeds from growing back, the few inches of loam on top of the landscape fabric will only provide hotel accomodations for future weeds that may drift/blow into the mulch bed....See MoreLandscape Fabric - over or under?
Comments (3)You forgot to list the third choice.......in the garbage can ;-)) Seriously, landscape fabric has NO place in a garden bed!! And virtually any horticulturist and most landscapers will confirm. It causes more problems than it solves and is not even very effective in controlling weeds. A decent layer of mulch is all that is required and the occasional removal of any weeds that might blow in. Just keep on top of things and don't allow any windborne weed seeds to take over. btw, planting densely, so that very little soil or mulch is showing, is really the best way to keep weeds to a minimum....See MoreO.T. Landscaping Fabric- Pros/Cons- How Do You Deal with Weeds???
Comments (84)I'm 72 and have a really bad back (DDD at multiple vertebrae sites) that allows only very brief bending. Have broken both femur heads (below knees) in an inside fall, and although both are healed, it is painful to get on my knees for more than 5-10 minutes at a time, even using foam pads. Just this past year, I've decided mulch, fabric, newspaper and cardboard are all short term and I'm always right back to the messy, weedy beds that are even harder and more time-consuming to weed because of the items just listed. My decision this year is I'm done with ALL OF THE ABOVE methods for controlling weeds. I've ripped up the fabric from the one bed I had it in under a primrose jasmine that roots wherever it touches the ground (since dug up & removed). Last year I pulled up the newspaper & cardboard in one small bed. From here on out, I'm using the weedeater exclusively. I'm not a flower gardener and the few varieties I can keep alive are in pots off the ground so I can weedeat around the pots easily. I stick to flowering shrubs and trees instead. Unfortunately my father did NOT pass on his green thumb to me. Rose bushes and flowering shrubs are just easier to weedeat around. I just hold the whacker close to the ground and let it rip up what it will down to bare soil. I prefer the soil look to mulch or rock. I hand pull weeds that get closer to trunks if need be. I go through a lot of WW twine, and that adds up, but spending $$$ on twine is worth it to save me the resulting back & knee pain. Every spring my husband is always whining we need to mulch all the beds, but he just a 'spread it and forget it' kind of guy. It's me that ends up with the aftermath of his decisions. It has been a areal bone of contentions this year in particular. So I'm DONE WITH IT! Need to get out and weedeat it tomorrow, in fact, but it'll be done in an hour or less, as our yard (and beds) are small. :)...See MoreWhat to put under dry creek bed? FL weeds laugh at landscape fabric!
Comments (16)" So before I had any experience with how things grow, I’d see these lovely photos of beautiful rocky dry creek beds, the rocks pristine, also artfully planted with deciduous stuff, including in some articles recommending and installing them as part of otherwise lush landscapes. Ummm, no. " I certainly do not live in an arid climate.....except for maybe a couple of months in summer when we receive virtually no rainfall. I fact, the PNW is typically considered a modestly damp and lush growing environment. And as a practicing landscape designer, I have designed and used dry creek beds in numerous client projects. Almost without exception they have functioned as intended and developed into attractive landscape features. Yes, they do require some maintenance to remain tidy and look their best but no more so than any other garden planting situation. Devoting a couple of hours to the area every so often to remove any weeds or debris is no more - and often quite a bit less - effort expended than one would with a traditionally planted garden bed. With thoughtful design and planning and care in construction, dry stream beds can be utilized in ANY climate and are NOT relegated to just arid climates!!...See MoreTiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
7 years agoLesa Palmer
7 years agokimmq
7 years agokimpa zone 9b N. Florida.
7 years agocakbu z9 CA
7 years agoLesa Palmer
7 years agojnavarro31
7 years agoSkip1909
7 years agoLesa Palmer
7 years agoLaurie (8A)
7 years ago
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Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL