Homeowner concerned after noticing troubling detail in landscaper's yard work: 'Is this normal?'

One homeowner was in for an unpleasant surprise after taking a closer look at some landscaping work done on their yard.

They posted photos of the situation in the subreddit r/landscaping, where they explained: "We have some landscapers doing work on our yard. I noticed they laid down a fabric that doesn't seem water permeable under the mulch. This fabric is similar to tarp material."

Their close-up photos of the material show what appears to be a weave of plastic fibers. 

"Is this normal?" they asked. "Has anyone else seen this material?"

Many people knew the fabric immediately, and they all issued the same warning: It's no good.

While this type of material has been marketed as a way to smother unwanted weeds, most gardeners will warn to be careful what you wish for. Because when the fabric is this thick, it tends to kill out just about everything.

"I wouldn't lay this anywhere where you want to have plants growing in the future," one person advised.

Another echoed the sentiment, warning, "Pull that away from the trees. That will kill them in no time!"

Even the word "fabric" is misleading, considering that the material is, in fact, plastic. Because it's nearly impermeable, water often pools on top of it, leading to rot.

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"This stuff is garbage," one commenter said. "It kills plants. Once I pulled up a section and the amount of mold underneath was insane. I needed a shovel to scoop it out. No wonder it smelled so bad."

Not only that, but as the material sheds microplastics over time, they make their way back into plants — which, in turn, are often consumed by both animals and humans. This is particularly worrying for people who grow vegetables in the same soil as landscaping plastic, but it's worrying either way.

Microplastics have already been found in common food items like tea bags and pigs, and scientists worry that they pose a number of health threats, particularly over time.

Instead, a yard that's plastic-free and rich with native plants can keep homeowners — and their local ecosystem — healthy and thriving for years.

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