If you're a gardener, you likely know that landscape fabric can elicit some strong opinions. 

One Reddit user discovered just how many people disliked landscape fabric when they posted a question about it to the r/landscaping subreddit. 

The poster shared a screenshot of landscaping spikes they had ordered and asked: "What are everyone's thoughts on using them vs landscape staples to anchor landscape fabric?"

The answers probably weren't what they expected, as the majority of people told them not to use landscape fabric at all. 

"Fabric is useless and it will just make someone curse your name when they have to remove it later," one Redditor wrote. 

Landscape fabric may offer minimal benefits, but the downsides of using it far outweigh any good it may do. It typically consists of synthetic materials such as plastic, as well as being treated with chemicals, all of which can damage your plants and soil.

Cardboard and natural, undyed mulch are much better (and more sustainable) options. 

Plus, landscape fabric isn't particularly effective at preventing weeds, meaning you're wasting your money when you purchase it. It can also prevent vital nutrients from reaching your soil, negatively impacting nearby plants. Landscape fabric eventually wears down, as well, meaning it will need to be removed and replaced. 

If you're a lover of native plants appearing in your yard, you definitely don't want to use landscape fabric, as it can prevent reseeding. 

Those looking to incorporate native plants into their lawn's landscaping will be better served by installing a natural lawn. Not only will doing so save you money on your water bill, as natural lawns require less watering, but you will also need to do less maintenance.

If you were to switch from a grass lawn to a more natural option, which of these factors would be your primary motivation? Making it look better 🌱 Saving money on water and maintenance 💰 Helping pollinators 🐝 No way I ever get rid of my lawn 🚫 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

Best of all, you'll be creating an ecosystem attractive to pollinators. Since pollinators help protect our food supplies, an abundance of them benefits everyone.

You don't even have to rewild your entire lawn to reap these benefits, either. You can start small with a few common native plants, such as clover, blue grama, and buffalo grass. The National Audubon Society's Native Plants Database is one resource that can help you find options suited to your area.  

As one Reddit user said: "Landscape fabric doesn't work, don't waste … your time. Seriously."

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