One recent Reddit post featured a couple of photos of exposed tree roots. The original poster said that they have many trees with landscape fabric and river rock over them and that they realized their mistake after pulling back the fabric, which revealed root malformation.
The tree owner, who lives in Alberta, Canada, said that their bur oak trees are healthy and that they want to keep them that way after removing the landscape fabric. However, the roots lying on top of the soil make it difficult to add a climbing rose and enhance the soil.
"I just really don't want to kill the tree and I am looking for advice," they said.
While commonly used to prevent weeds, soil erosion, and evaporation, landscape fabric can do more harm than good. Things may rot under the fabric due to a lack of airflow. It can also prevent rooting beneath the soil, which appears to have happened in the OP's yard.
Additionally, water may not reach the plant roots, affecting the soil's ecosystem. Earthworms and other organisms move through the soil, creating nutrients and aeration, which the fabric disrupts. While suppressing weeds is a must, this is not the best method for doing so. Suppression may be temporary, and weeds may come through edges and gaps in the fabric.
Instead of this unsightly fabric that can cause more extensive and expensive damage later, gardeners and landscape developers should opt for mulch. Organic mulches such as leaves, bark, and shredded wood effectively block weeds and provide healthy nutrients as they naturally decompose into the soil. Their presence also aesthetically suits the rest of the natural space.
The homeowner can take steps to rewild their yard by planting dense and beautiful ground covers. Depending on location and soil type, some of the best options include wild ginger, clover, eastern hay-scented fern, and wild strawberry.
The comments provided good advice from other gardeners.
One person said: "Mulch and compost is a good way to go, just don't overdo it. Don't let mulch/compost touch the trunk [and] don't lay more than 3-4 inches thick of mulch to avoid suffocating the roots."
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Mowing the lawn 🏡 Another gardener wrote: "I started chopping and composting my leaves over the winter, and blending them with grass in the summer. In 2-3 years, the pile is ready to use."
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