Homeowner distraught after garden maintenance method backfires: 'It's been sold to many of us as a false promise'

If left unchecked, weeds can easily overrun a yard. One homeowner was feeling overwhelmed by the sight of their garden, and they asked r/gardening for some advice.

"I need help," they wrote. "This garden bed has been neglected the last two years and been taken over by grass and other weeds. … There is mulch on top of landscaping fabric under there, but it's clearly not doing much for weed control anymore."

While the weeds are a problem, the bigger issue is what's hiding underneath: landscaping fabric.

Landscaping fabric isn't "fabric" at all — it's flexible plastic. This petroleum-based plastic is usually used to prevent weeds from growing, but it quickly becomes ineffective.

Determined weeds will burst through the fabric, embedding themselves in it and allowing more weeds to grow. The weed-ridden fabric then breaks off into chunks and becomes a nightmare to remove.

Save yourself the trouble and opt for eco-friendly alternatives like cardboard, newspaper, or burlap. These materials will completely decompose over time, removing the need for cleanup and enriching the soil with nutrients.

Restoring a garden bed in this state would take time and effort, but rewilding the yard with native plants could transform it into a low-maintenance, thriving meadow.

Native plants are adapted to their regions, so you'll spend less time and money on maintenance like weeding, watering, and mowing. They also provide shelter for local wildlife and support essential pollinators. 

Gardeners in the comments urged the homeowner to remove the landscape fabric. 

"It's been sold to many of us as a false promise," one wrote. "It does not help with weed suppression past the first year and it makes weeding more difficult because weed roots get entangled in the fabric."

"Landscape fabric just creates more problems than it solves," another commenter explained. "Get rid of the landscaping fabric and dedicate yourself to tending to your mulch every spring. Landscaping fabric lulls you into thinking it is a permanent solution by saving you an hour a year to cost you days in labour fixing its inherent weakness of roots growing in the fabric."

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.

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