Commercial Landscape Fabric - Yes/No
Lynn-in-TX-Z8b- Austin Area/Hill Country
2 years ago
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summercloud -- NC zone 7b
2 years agoLynn-in-TX-Z8b- Austin Area/Hill Country thanked summercloud -- NC zone 7bMischievous Magpie (CO 5b)
2 years agoLynn-in-TX-Z8b- Austin Area/Hill Country thanked Mischievous Magpie (CO 5b)Related Discussions
Biodegradable landscaping fabric
Comments (9)Hmmmm.... that looks exactly like the paper sold at HD and Lowe's for protecting finished floors, counter-tops, etc. It is misleading to be labeling paper as "biodegradeble landscape fabric." Without knowing much about your project, but based on what you've done and what you propose, I'm inclined to think that you are stumbling through its creation without a solid scheme. Using paper as a biodegradable underlayment to mulch would have some effect in helping to minimize weeds at the beginning... but not UNDER the topsoil you plan to add. The weeds will be coming from nearer the top. Do you need to build up the grade... or should you be just amending the soil instead? (If you haven't physically seen the topsoil you'll be getting, it's possible that it may also need amending unless it's in a bag.) The idea of suppressing weeds with paper is not new. But usually, people just go get cardboard out of a dumpster for free and placed it under the mulch... again, not at the bottom of the planting. And usually, this process is done well in advance of planting as weed-killing alternative to spraying herbicide. I think it would be difficult to use cardboard or paper as an underlayment to the mulch after or during the installation of plants.... unless it was used only at a wide enough pathway. But it doesn't seem like that's the kind of garden you're creating. Since you have already sprayed and rototilled, I'd forget about using any "fabric" and just be diligent about the weeds using conventional methods: manual pulling, a hoe or VERY careful spraying of Round-up. Depending on the garden, plants and soil, you may need some soil-amending....See MoreLandscape Fabric
Comments (9)My raised beds were built following ideas for lasagna gardening. The vegetables beds were built on old sod with all the grass varieties and weeds common to New England farms such as garden sorrel and a nasty creeping plant. Starting off with layers of wet newspaper, grass clippings, chopped leaves, etc and topped with a good aged composted horse manure (the horse owner adds wood ashes and kitchen scraps during the winter and turns the pile). Year one is great. But then the weeds slowly encroach. This year I put down black plastic for a few weeks before I planted. This killed the weeds and made removal easier. But, keep in mind, the bed wasn't terribly weedy, just around the edges. Originally my intention was simply to warm up the soil. Last fall I planted garlic in a 2 year old well weeded bed. This year part of the bed is covered with fresh grass clippings. What weeds start up are easy to pull. I think the secret is starting with essentially weed free beds. Those layers of grass and old leaves were probably weed free. I don't think I will ever till up a garden bed again. My first bed built in 2008 has sunk down to the level of the grass. I will probably build that bed up again with more leaves, etc. The spinach I planted this year did ok but the same seed packet planted in another bed with a new application of composted horse manure is much bigger and better. I really don't like the weed infiltration from the grassy walkways. My husband keeps them well mowed but the weeds that grow with runners keep creeping in. I changed a bed shape and needed to add some narrow paths this year. The wet newspapers topped with grass clippings help keep the weeds down. You didn't mention whether you have your beds just hilled up like mine or edged with boards. If your beds are already built then I would put down black plastic for a month or so before planting the garlic. But remove the black plastic before planting....See MoreShould I use landscaping fabric?
Comments (30)In my front landscape, I used the water permeable landscape fabric under a good layer of cedar mulch, with holes cut for the perennials I wanted there. It's doing very well several years in, and any weeds that try to get a foothold (usually dandelion) are easily pulled out by the taproot. That said, I have Lamium and creeping phlox spreading out as a "green mulch" around the taller plants, and they do a pretty good job of choking out any volunteer weeds now that they have a foothold. I tried the cardboard in my butterfly garden and it looked good for a season, but I didn't keep up with it and now I have a mini hayfield on the side of the house, with some butterfly friendly plants mixed in. I just let it go because I have noticed lots of wild critters using it as cover and habitat. I guess I have to pick my battles! :D...See MoreWater wise garden - Landscape Fabric: Yes or No?
Comments (6)We do use thick landscape fabric in areas we don't plan to plant anything (walkways and slow-growing succulent areas mostly). We cover it with at least 4" of bark to keep the light out, and generally get no weeds other than an easily pulled stray here or there that rooted in the bark. Every few years we move the bark, shake it around to get rid of dirt and replace it, add new if necessary (and any fabric that needs it). Much less work than constantly pulling weeds out of mulch directly over dirt. I'm lazy, two or three days of work every few years bothers me less than weeding daily. *edit* I personally would definitely put fabric under any areas you plan to gravel. The people we bought our current house from had a thick gravel RV pad (put in for the sale of the house and never used) and that thing was absolutely rotten with weed issues until we removed it....which was a whole other pain because then you end up with gravel embedded in the dirt and it's very, very difficult to remove it all if you ever change your mind. If you have a layer of thick fabric under the gravel, much easier to deal with cleaning it or getting rid of it. I wouldn't use the fabric/mulch under anything that drops leaves, needles or berries though, that can be a nightmare. Probably better to let it be a nightmare without the fabric....See MoreLynn-in-TX-Z8b- Austin Area/Hill Country
2 years agolast modified: 2 years agoDingo2001 - Z5 Chicagoland
2 years agoKristine LeGault 8a pnw
2 years agoLynn-in-TX-Z8b- Austin Area/Hill Country thanked Kristine LeGault 8a pnwJilly
2 years agolast modified: 2 years agoMarkay MD-Zone 7A (8A on new map)
2 years agoLynn-in-TX-Z8b- Austin Area/Hill Country thanked Markay MD-Zone 7A (8A on new map)Lynn-in-TX-Z8b- Austin Area/Hill Country
2 years agolast modified: 2 years agocatspa_zone9sunset14
2 years agolast modified: 2 years agoLynn-in-TX-Z8b- Austin Area/Hill Country thanked catspa_zone9sunset14catspa_zone9sunset14
2 years agoLynn-in-TX-Z8b- Austin Area/Hill Country thanked catspa_zone9sunset14Lynn-in-TX-Z8b- Austin Area/Hill Country
2 years agolast modified: 2 years agoSheila z8a Rogue Valley OR
2 years agoLynn-in-TX-Z8b- Austin Area/Hill Country thanked Sheila z8a Rogue Valley ORDingo2001 - Z5 Chicagoland
2 years agoLynn-in-TX-Z8b- Austin Area/Hill Country thanked Dingo2001 - Z5 Chicagolandrifis (zone 6b-7a NJ)
2 years agoLynn-in-TX-Z8b- Austin Area/Hill Country thanked rifis (zone 6b-7a NJ)Sheila z8a Rogue Valley OR
2 years agoLynn-in-TX-Z8b- Austin Area/Hill Country thanked Sheila z8a Rogue Valley ORBenT (NorCal 9B Sunset 14)
2 years agoLynn-in-TX-Z8b- Austin Area/Hill Country thanked BenT (NorCal 9B Sunset 14)portlandmysteryrose
2 years agocharles kidder
2 years ago
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