I was working at a site that had been overrun by weeds. They completely invaded the landscape beds. And yet, those very beds had a weed suppressing landscape fabric installed. Should you use landscape fabric? What causes it to fail? Are there any alternatives to a synthetic weed barrier? What should be considered as a long term solution? Landscape or weed fabrics create an impassible barrier that stops the upwards growth of plants from underneath. So the soft stems and leaves get trapped beneath.
For this barrier to work properly though, an application of mulch is needed. This helps to hold the fabric in place, blocking out the sunlight and suppressing growth. As a short term solution for reclaiming a weedy bed, the fabric can help you. By its very design, landscape fabric is intended to last for a long time. It is made from non-degradable, synthetic fibers.
So it works best when paired with mulches that will hold up just as. Rubber mulches, river rock or other stones. These materials won't decompose and turn into soil.
But they WILL start to sink down into the dirt of your bed. By adding a non-degrading layer to separate the soil from the stones or rubber mulches, you can set up a system that will last for quite some time. Of course, you need to keep the beds free from debris such as leaves. Failure to do so will result in the slow break down of organic matter that creates a soil in between the crevices of your mulches.
Weed seeds blow in. And you have a weed infested mess. It is certainly not my personal approach to landscaping, but when used in this way, landscape fabric makes sense. It serves the same role as sheets of plastic. But fabric at least has the added advantage of water permeability. Some of landscape fabric vs weed mat phase rain falling onto your bed landscape fabric vs weed mat phase be able penetrate and sink down into the ground.
In contrast, a plastic barrier results in complete run off of precipitation. Synthetic weed barriers can accomplish a task, but they are no silver bullet. When paired with the wrong mulch material, their limitations might not become apparent until a year or two has passed. But before long, you may start to see that your beds are just as weedy as they were before, especially if they've been neglected.
In many residences, wood based mulches are customarily applied on top of fabric. But the biodegradable nature of wood causes the mulch to slowly break down, forming a layer of soil. That upper layer can be a perfect rooting medium for fresh weed seeds that find their way into your beds. Before you know it, you've circumvented your weed barrier and weeds just grow right on top of it!
All the while the microbial processes that rejuvenate your soil are being hindered by this synthetic, barrier. Earthworms and various arthropods cannot freely pass from below the soil up to the surface. Your perennial plants become girdled as they grow wider and wider. Clumping and rhizomatous plants get trapped underneath. And creeping or layering plants cannot properly root as their roots get entangled in the fabric, landscape fabric vs weed mat phase.
A free, biodegradable alternative to landscape fabric is to use simple old cardboard. This idea is derived from the concept of sheet mulching. In permaculture, sheet mulching can be done to reclaim an area of land that might have been weedy or even covered with grass. Cardboard is applied to the area. Then a layer of mulch goes on top of. In creating a highly fertile site, a gardener may put several layers of materials. Leaves, compost, grass clippings, straw.
But in more conventional landscape applications, it would certainly work to just put a wood based mulch right on top of a couple layers of cardboard. Weeds or grasses will be unable to pass up through the cardboard.
With the inclusion of mulch you can effectively smother these unwanted landscape fabric vs weed mat Landscape Fabric Vs Weed Mat Uk phase, making way for new plantings. But meanwhile, that cardboard will be eaten up by earthworms and won't interfere with biological processes. But it isn't a good barrier for use under stones or rubber mulches. It would work for initial suppression. But afterwards, the cardboard would decompose while the mulches would remain intact, slowly sinking into the dirt of your bed. For maximum effectiveness, you would need multiple layers and a substantial mulch application placed on top.
I prefer cardboard, using 2 layers standard thickness. A single layer will work well if it is extra. You can often go to local businesses and ask if you can dumpster dive for their cardboard. Pull off any staples, tape or stickers, since these won't decompose. Well established, vigorous plants may send their stems along the bottom, seeking an edge or a hole in your barrier.
So when you need to use multiple layers, be sure to generously overlap the seams. It's also a good idea to pull out or dig up weeds that are at the very edge of the bed. Birds enjoy worms. So be aware that you may have animals perforating your sheet mulch layer. This might require weeding out any plants that find their way to the light. Besides pulling out those weedy culprits, you can always apply a quick patch. Just pull away the mulch and drop down a fresh layer of cardboard, landscape fabric vs weed mat phase.
Are you looking for a way to reduce mulching requirements? How can you keep out weeds? Nature abhors a vacuum. So your final landscape or garden should be designed in a way that fills those large empty spaces.
Plan out multiple layers of trees, bushes, shrubs and herbal plants. Allow these to fill in your beds, choking out any weeds that make their way into your property.
To cover large areas of ground, without relying on grass, consider using ground covers. It's worth noting that cardboard is composed of cellulose. Thus, as with any other wood based product, it can serve as a food source for termites. If you have an issue with termites on your property then you might prefer to avoid making things worse by laying down cardboard. However, if this is the case, landscape fabric vs weed mat phase, then there is more to do than simply avoid cardboard.
That includes ones that might seem to be termite resistant like cypress or cedar. Eventually, the protective compounds in the wood will leach away and termites might feed on the wood particles. Do not allow any wood to be in contact with the ground. Think about stacks of firewood. What about wooden boards used for raised beds? Even treated wood becomes vulnerable over time. Once a tree or woody shrub dies, termite colonies move in to break down the massive landscape fabric vs weed mat phase of buried roots.
So if you are afraid of attracting termites to your property, then you might think twice about cutting down any trees or large shrubs on your lot. That is where the real termite invitation comes into play. A single medium tree will have deposited much more cellulose under ground than those few sheets of cardboard that you are contemplating.
Even still, landscape fabric vs weed mat phase, there are certain basics that can be done to protect your structures from termite invasion, landscape fabric vs weed mat phase. Essentially, you want to avoid creating any bridge from the outside soil to your home. Subterranean termites feed on the extensive network of roots from dead trees. They will follow the landscape fabric vs weed mat phase of wood or moist soil in search of food.
So your buildings need to be surrounded by a buffer, a barrier of dry, uninviting soil. Make sure your ground is properly graded, sloping away from the base of your structures. Gutters and downspouts should be moving rainwater away from the foundation so that it is kept dry.
But don't use landscape fabric or plastic. The soil should be kept bone dry to inhibit the migration of termites. That means no wooden mulch or chips, but also no rubber mulch or stones. Keep all of these things 12 inches away from your buildings so that there is only exposed, dry soil.
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