An expert gardener is continuing their quest to educate people about why landscaping fabric is a waste of both time and money.
Garden coach Jess posted a mashup video on their You Can Do It Gardening TikTok account (@youcandoitgardening) demonstrating various times they've advised green-thumbed clients to steer clear of a material that is advertised as a way to prevent weeds from growing.
@youcandoitgardening This is a scam. It's a useless waste of money and looks terrible after about one year, which is about when it stops working because the mulch has blown or drained off and you might as well have just used mulch alone (2-4 inches). Better, yet, use wood chips from a tree service/arborist or nursery, or Chip Drop (this is free and look that up if you want a pile). They're thicker so they suppress weeds longer and break down more slowly, acting as kind of a slow-release fertilizer, so you need less or none of that. Plastic weed barrier reduces air and water from reaching the soil. MIcrobes and other healthy organisms for healthy soil life can't survive there. And then you have plastic garbage in your yard. Furthermore, plant roots grow into the fabric and moving plants or trying to get rid of the fabric later becomes very difficult. Don't waste your time with fabric unless you are using it as part of a drainage solution with rocks, to prevent sediment from accumulating and clogging it up. Can I have an amen on this? (You can see I am very passionate about this topic!) Videos done by various frustrated clients at their homes If you're new here, I'm a garden coach and consultant based in the Boston area (zone 6b). Please help others with questions if you have information to share. Go to my website to learn more about what I do or to schedule consultations and more: https://www.youcandoitgardening.com #youcandoitgardening #landscapefabric #weedbarrier #gardeningtips #gardeningforbeginners #gardening #gardeningtok ♬ original sound - You Can Do It Gardening
"This is a scam," Jess says of weed fabric in the caption. "It's a useless waste of money and looks terrible after about one year, which is about when it stops working because the mulch has blown or drained off and you might as well have just used mulch alone (2-4 inches)."
Among the issues with the product that Jess highlights, plastic weed barriers prevent air and water from reaching soil, which means that microbes that are vital for healthy soil cannot grow.
What's more, Jess pointed out in the video that the wind will blow in new weed seeds that will settle on top of the fabric. Those weeds will then grow, with their roots attaching and spreading along it. This makes it much more difficult to remove the material and encourages weeds to expand their range.
"Don't waste your time with fabric unless you are using it as part of a drainage solution with rocks, to prevent sediment from accumulating and clogging it up," Jess adds.
Instead of using weed fabric, which is expensive and will likely break apart after a while, cardboard is an effective — and sometimes free — way to prevent weed growth for a short period of time as you start flower beds or patches, and it will break down naturally rather than persisting in the environment, unlike plastic.
TikTokers were grateful for the advice, and some even offered their own tales of weed fabric woe.
"My husband just spent all day yesterday laying fabric," one person said, accompanied by a "face smack" emoji.
🗣️ What's the hardest thing about taking care of your yard?
🔘 Mowing the lawn 🏡
🔘 Controlling weeds 🌿
🔘 Keeping pests at bay 🐿️
🔘 I don't have a yard 🤷
🗳️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind
"I do regret having used this stuff," someone else added.
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