Amid the seemingly ruinous facts surrounding the mediocrity and dangers of landscape fabric, another TikTok video has added fuel to the fire. 

Amelia's Natives (@ameliasnativewildflowers) spelled things out in no-nonsense terms. 

@ameliasnativewildflowers We don't use landscape fabric at the nursery—and you shouldn't either. It blocks nutrients, traps roots, releases microplastics and forever chemicals, creates more weed problems in the long run, and prevents native plants from doing what they do best: rewilding the land and supporting wildlife. Instead, we use mulch and compost to feed the soil naturally. Say no to fabric, say yes to native. #NativePlants #RewildYourGarden #DitchTheFabric #SoilHealth #MulchDontSmother #GoNative #LandscapingNaturally #PlasticFreeGardening #NativePlantNursery #AmeliasNativeWildflowers #RegenerativeGardening #LandscapeWithoutFabric #HealthySoilMatters #GardeningTips #florida #EcoFriendlyLandscaping ♬ original sound - Amelia's Natives

It's a wonder that landscaping fabric is still a widely available, common purchase in gardening sections across the country. 

As the clip makes clear, landscape fabric adds microplastics and unhealthy, forever chemicals to the soil. It limits air flow, water flow, the spread of good plants, and increases runoff.

While initially successful at reducing weeds, nature finds a way. That wouldn't be so bad if the fabric were easy to remove and had far fewer detrimental effects on the local environment. 

The clip emphasized wildlife, but it didn't dive too deeply into what that entails.

Microplastic pollution can be ingested by small animals, insects, and other soil-dwelling organisms. The ingested microplastics build up, potentially clogging air passages and the digestive system. 

Entanglement is possible as well, especially when the landscaping fabric creates excess water runoff and the surface soil washes away. Exposed, the fabric will fray, tear, and create loose strands that animals might get entangled in. 

Fortunately, there are other options out there, including native or natural lawn upgrades. Natural lawns avoid the need for landscaping fabric and other resources like herbicides and pesticides. 

While the fabric robs lawns of water and nutrients, natural lawns feature robust plants that are already acclimated to the region and that help restore it by attracting pollinators and wildlife. 

Do you worry about having toxic forever chemicals in your home? Majorly 😥 Sometimes 😟 Not really 😐 I don't know enough about them 🤷 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

Natural plants also encourage and support soil health, allowing more water and nutrients to pass through the soil. They don't require much water and are very low-maintenance. 

Natural lawns won't solve every weeding problem, but weeds are tenacious, and nothing will effectively eliminate all of them permanently, at least not in a way that isn't seriously detrimental. 

Instead of trying to destroy weeds, restoring the natural beauty and biorhythm of the area can be a crucial step in protecting threatened pollinators. Landscaping fabric had its run, but the stuff just isn't what it's made out to be. 

"I'm currently removing some plastic fiber from the ground, and it is hell," one viewer observed. 

It's hard to argue.

As the OP said, "It's a nightmare. I don't know what's worse, removing landscape fabric or rubber mulch."

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