Landscape fabric seems like a magic fix for pesky weeds: Cover them, block out the sun, and they'll disappear — at least that was the flawed logic followed by one unfortunate landscaper on Reddit. The problem, as experts have explained, is that landscape fabric is a "gardening myth."

The Redditor was desperate for help after a landscaping job done with this kind of fabric went south. They posted: "I did a job for a lady and used landscape fabric from Amazon. … The problem I'm having is grass and weeds are [popping] through two weeks after install!!!"

"What fabric do the pros use?" they asked. "I don't care the cost." 

"Fabric sucks," said one commenter. And the "r/landscaping" community seemed to overwhelmingly agree. 

This is not a case where a more expensive or higher-quality product would have saved this landscaper. Many have found landscape fabric to be generally a waste of time, effort, and money. While it sounds great, it's not a long-term solution. After a few months (or if you're this Redditor, just a couple of weeks), weeds often persist and start to grow on top, or even through, the fabric. 

Mulching over fabric creates a new bed for weeds to thrive in, and while weeds can often survive in shallow soil, your plants will be suffering from a lack of oxygen and water since their roots won't be able to dig into the native topsoil. 

In addition to harming plants in the short term, landscape fabric is almost impossible to get rid of once it starts to degrade. You'll likely be pulling tiny bits of fabric out of your soil for years, and the remaining fabric will never fully decompose, leaving tiny microplastics scattered across the soil you are growing plants and food in. Save yourself the headache and use cardboard or organic materials, or install a native lawn, which can help reduce weeding. 

Still, landscaping forums are inundated with questions about landscape fabric, which professional gardeners and landscapers are quick to point out sounds too good to be true. "Fabric doesn't work (as you noted) and harms the soil underneath. Rip it up and use cardboard and/or a thicker layer of mulch," said one gardener.

"I use cardboard for my underlayer. It restricts ground growth and it will decompose over time. I cut holes for plants and cover the rest with mulch," wrote one commenter. "Regardless, nothing will prevent weeds [and] grass from finding a niche to grow. Ongoing maintenance is a reality."

"Weed barrier is such a scam, even if they stopped weeds from coming up (they don't, as you've learned) organic matter just builds on top of the barrier and weeds will grow in that. Cardboard + a good 5-6 inches of mulch will go much farther," recommended another commenter.

What's the hardest thing about taking care of your yard? Mowing the lawn 🏡 Controlling weeds 🌿 Keeping pests at bay 🐿️ I don't have a yard 🤷 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

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