Gardeners of all calibers have strong opinions about the use of landscape fabric as a liner for flower beds and gardens, with many coming down on the side of not using it.
One Reddit user asked about incorporating landscape fabric into a dry creek bed in the r/NativePlantGardening subreddit and discovered just how many people dislike this product.
In a post titled, "Fabric liner under dry creek bed - Do or Don't?" the Redditor explained: "Currently building a dry creek bed for a California Native Garden and I'm having mixed feelings about laying down a liner under the rocks."
They listed what they considered the pros and cons, and asked for others' opinions.
"Don't. It's not a long-term solution and frankly more trouble than it's worth," one Redditor wrote.
It turns out that landscape fabric comes with several downsides.
As another person mentioned in the comments, landscape fabric can negatively impact the soil beneath it, as it prevents nutrients from reaching the soil. When landscape fabric breaks down, it also harms the soil, as the fabric is made from chemicals and nonrecyclable materials that can leach into the ground during degradation.
Additionally, landscape fabric is generally a waste of money as it doesn't truly prevent weeds. It can be an even costlier mistake when used with native plants, though, as the product prevents reseeding.
If you're installing a native lawn or even simply a few native plants around your home, you're better off skipping the landscape fabric. You may have to pull a few more weeds, but with a native garden, you'll need to do less maintenance overall.
You'll also save plenty on your water bill and create a healthy ecosystem that attracts pollinators, which benefits not only yourself but others, as they are responsible for helping protect our food supply.
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If you were to switch from a grass lawn to a more natural option, which of these factors would be your primary motivation?
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Making it look better 🌱 For those considering native plants but not ready to commit fully, even planting a few in a small section of your yard will benefit you. You can start small with common native plants, such as buffalo grass, blue grama, and clover.
As one commenter pointed out when they discussed their own experience with landscape fabric, "this was one of those 'it doesn't exist in nature so why am I trying to make it work in my native plant garden' moments for me."
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