Homeowner learns from others' mistakes using 'terrible' gardening method: 'It's a total mess'

A Reddit user set the online gardening community aflame by asking about a common yet "terrible" planting method, learning a valuable lesson in the process.

In a post on the r/gardening subreddit, a user asked if they should put gravel and landscaping fabric under raised garden boxes in their yard. 

"I have two raised beds I'm looking to set up in my yard, and was considering laying landscaping fabric and gravel prior to setting up in a manner similar to the attached pic," the user wrote. "Is it okay to lay landscaping fabric under the beds? Some sources indicated that this would prevent plants to develop strong root systems. Should I lay the fabric and gravel around the beds instead?"

Commenters immediately rejected the idea, explaining why the plan wouldn't work as well as it sounds. 

"It's taken me years to painstakingly remove the landscaping fabric the previous owners installed in my yard," one user wrote. "That stuff is hell on earth and should be banned. It only suppresses weeds for a short period of time, after which the weeds grow through it. 

"This makes the landscaping fabric practically impossible to remove (any attempt to pull it results in tiny pieces ripping off since the weeds keep it anchored in place) AND simultaneously makes the weeds that do grow through impossible to remove."

That same commenter also decried gravel. 

"Gravel is another equally terrible idea," they wrote. "It'll look good for a short period and then inevitably weeds will grow through it."

Other users also railed against landscape fabric. "Lay landscaping fabric down if you want future homeowners to curse your name for eons to come," one user joked. 

"Never landscape fabric. It's awful," another user commented.

Yet another commenter put it simply when commiserating after removing landscape fabric from their own yard, saying: "It's a total mess."

Gardening itself is a valuable practice when done right.

In addition to saving growers money on groceries and attracting pollinators to local ecosystems, tending to plants has a plethora of positive side effects — it can promote a healthier lifestyle and even improve mental health. For more information on how to maximize your yard's garden potential, visit TCD's rewilding guide.

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