Landscape fabric is marketed as a method for limiting weed growth, but a gardener captured video proving the contrary.
Tiffany (@tiffanyinthepnw) on TikTok spotted a landscaper "weed eating" between a bunch of bushes with a weed whacker.
@tiffanyinthepnw I HATE LANDSCAPE FABRIC
♬ original sound - Tiffany PNW
"And guess what's under that mulch?" Tiffany asked. "Landscape fabric!"
In her caption, Tiffany added an emphatic, "I hate landscape fabric."
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A person in the comments agreed with her irritation, writing, "I'm still dealing with the landscape fabric that the previous homeowner put in."
Landscape fabric is meant to be a low-maintenance weed barrier for your landscaping needs, but more and more people are sharing that it is ineffective at best.
The College of Agricultural, Consumer & Environmental Sciences at Illinois University explained that landscape fabric is only really effective for a few years and can compact the soil, while also preventing water from permeating into it. Plus, it can degrade and open holes, allowing weeds to pop through, as well as release microplastics as it breaks down.
All that makes landscape fabric a bit of a waste of money, as demonstrated by the need for the gas-powered gardening tool displayed in the TikTok video.
There are alternatives to the material, like using cardboard, newspaper, or just good old mulch to manage or slow the growth of weeds, according to GreenPal. Even better is switching to a natural lawn, which offers environmental benefits on top of saving you time and money.
For example, clover lawns naturally suppress weed growth, while also requiring less water than a typical monoculture lawn, as well as less maintenance like mowing (or weed whacking). Clover also helps prevent soil erosion and has deep roots that pull in water naturally, making it an aesthetically pleasing, year-round option.
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How often will you be gardening this summer? Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
Every day 🥗 Embracing native plants and letting your lawn get a little wild is also beneficial for your local environment. Pollinators like birds, bats, bees, and other insects love a native lawn, which provides them with their habitat needs. In turn, they help out other plant life cycles and support the human food supply.
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