To fight weeds on your property, you can try many natural approaches without chemicals, such as planting cover crops and enlisting the help of hungry goats.
Another strategy homeowners consider is using weed cloths, a landscaping fabric that often causes more harm than good.
One homeowner posted a question about weed cloths to the r/landscaping subreddit, looking for advice on whether they are worth the time and money.
The homeowner recently had 2-foot-tall, tree-climbing ivy cleared from a dirt area and wanted to prevent a similar weed issue from returning.
"I'm planning to landscape this area with 2 different-sized pavers with smaller rocks in between," the homeowner wrote. "I want to do as much as I can but am getting overwhelmed by the differing tips/steps I see online."
Fortunately, online landscaping enthusiasts came to the homeowner's rescue with suggestions and guidance.
As many Redditors agreed, weed cloths are not the best solution for controlling weeds. Landscaping fabric prevents healthy soil development and stunts plants' growth. Seeds spread by the wind settle on the fabric and grow anyway. Those weeds are more challenging to pull with the fabric in place because it's embedded in the dirt.
In addition to weed cloths, other landscaping products to avoid are rubber mulch and plastic barriers. These products release toxic substances and microplastics as they degrade and contaminate the soil. Better options for your natural lawn are wood mulch and simply pulling weeds by hand or using hand tools.
"I put weed cloth in 10 years ago and have regretted it every day," a Redditor shared in the comments. "I will never use it again."
"Completely worthless," another wrote. "Will cause more problems than it's worth."
One recommended, "Use a less aggressive ground cover such as Asian jasmine and be done with it. "I never advise using plastics in a landscape. Keep it organic."
"Weed cloth is the devil. I've had a lot of success using cardboard as a weed barrier," suggested one more.
The original poster heeded this advice, commenting, "I'm definitely going to save all my cardboard now!"
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