Why landscape fabric is often a bad idea for your garden

Landscape fabric may sound like a neat tidy and easy cure to all your weeding woes but as often is the scenario if it sounds too good to be true it presumably is To be fair landscape fabric has its place Unfortunately it s widely misused in the majority home landscape applications where it does more harm than good in ornamental beds and around perennials and crops The woven or sometimes non-woven synthetic or sometimes biodegradable barrier is meant to suppress weeds while allowing water and air to pass through to the soil beneath it And that s exactly how it works - for a short time after which buyer s remorse almost dependably sets in Before long soil and other organic matter settle on top of the fabric seeds find their way to the surface and weeds begin to grow Since their roots penetrate through the fabric removing them becomes extremely formidable Under the barrier which restricts water and oxygen from reaching the soil and carbon from escaping microbes earthworms and other insects die fertility declines and roots struggle In perennial beds the fabric creates heat pockets and impedes the spread and self-seeding of plants In time the fabric will shift and tear and attempts to remove it will no doubt make you rue the day you had the bright idea to use it Plastic sheeting is even worse as it altogether blocks water and air from reaching the soil overheats roots and releases microplastics into the ground There are exceptions however Landscape fabric can be helpful under gravel or stone paths or walkways where it creates a barrier between the hardscape and the soil below It can also help smother grass and weeds when used temporarily to help create a clean slate for future planting beds in areas that are intricate to clear Still I recommend using thick layers of newspaper or cardboard instead as they biodegrade naturally and perform the same function without having to be removed When your landscape fabric becomes a torn weedy root-tangled mess and it will good luck removing it The painstaking process involves slowly and precisely pulling up individual fragments of the fabric which will be heavy under the soil and cutting them away from around and between roots which will have grown above below and through the textile Instead of shooting yourself in the foot with landscape fabric opt for an organic mulch like shredded bark wood chips or straw It will regulate soil temperature and moisture nourish the soil as it decomposes and patronage the soil life that supports your plants Apply a - to -inch layer keeping it away from trunks and stems and refresh it when it breaks down You ll still get a sparse weeds but they ll pull up easily roots and all Jessica Damiano writes weekly gardening columns for the AP and publishes the award-winning Weekly Dirt Newsletter You can sign up here for weekly gardening tips and advice For more AP gardening stories go to https apnews com hub gardening Source