Lawn makeovers are a great opportunity to clean up your yard. However, it's easy to fall into the trap of landscaping fabrics.
One homeowner was in the process of adding mulch to their yard and reached out to Reddit's r/landscaping forum for advice.
"Do I need to lay weed cloth down before adding mulch?" they asked.
Redditors responded with helpful tips and urged the original poster to avoid landscaping fabric.
"The two do NOT go together," wrote one user. "Mulch. Only."
"Absolutely no weed fabric under mulch," added another Redditor. "You want mulch to break down into your soil naturally."
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Landscaping fabrics, such as weed cloths, are made of plastics and end up doing more harm than good. Many gardeners who have added landscaping fabrics to their lawns have shared the pitfalls and frustrations of having to remove them.
Since landscaping fabrics are made of plastic, the plastic particles break down and leach toxic microplastics into the soil over time.
Luckily, there are environmentally friendly alternatives to landscaping fabrics that deter weeds and don't break the bank. Planting native plants, for example, is a great way to suppress weeds while adding colorful blooms to your yard.
Switching to a native plant lawn will also save you time and money in the long run. Since native plants have adapted to the local environment, they don't require as much water, fertilizer, and pesticides to thrive. You can save $225 on water and $100 on fertilizers and pesticides each year.
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What's the hardest thing about taking care of your yard? Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
Mowing the lawn 🏡 Redditors continued to emphasize the problems associated with landscaping fabrics and encouraged the OP to avoid them.
"Please don't use weed cloth," commented one user. "It doesn't last long and it's so annoying to remove."
"I put cardboard down," wrote another Redditor. "Decomposes and suffocates most of the weeds."
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