Expert issues strong warning about common landscaping product: 'Don't recommend it'

Pro gardeners are anti-weed fabric.

Weed fabric, also known as landscaping fabric, is a plastic-based material that aims to prevent weeds from growing in your yard. However, many landscapers share their distaste for this unnatural solution and try to offer better alternatives.

One such organization is the Conservation Garden Park (@ConservationGardenPark) in Utah. Sharing a reel to Facebook, it lays out just why amateur gardeners should steer well clear of weed fabric.

"We don't really recommend weed fabric except under paths and hardscape areas," one landscaper explains in the video. "But under plants… We don't recommend it."

She goes on to explain that the soil underneath the weed fabric hardens and is starved of nutrients over time, while the organic material that settles on top of the fabric after a few years is healthy and the perfect environment for weeds to flourish in.

Instead, Conservation Garden Park recommends adding three to four inches of organic matter mulch, such as bark or compost, to your yard to suppress weeds. They also add that drip irrigation is a great way to retain moisture in the soil to reduce the amount you have to water.

Not only is weed fabric often ineffective, but it can also cause microplastics to shed off and contaminate soil and water. Opting for a natural solution is the best way to prevent harmful microplastics from ending up in your food and drinks.

If you want a low-maintenance garden but want to avoid landscaping fabric and other unnatural weed suppressants like pesticides or rubber mulch, upgrading to a natural lawn or rewilding are great options.

Simply adding a few native plants like clover and buffalo grass is an easy way to save you money and time on lawn maintenance while lowering your water bills. They'll also welcome bees and butterflies to your yard, which can help you grow delicious fruit and veggies as well.

"I've heard weed fabric prevents pollinators from digging into the soil, so they can't dig a burrow/lay eggs," one Facebook user commented. "Doesn't it also prevent worms from being able to come to the surface?"

"Yes, this is correct," Conservation Garden Park replied.

"Weed fabric is the worst!" someone else commented, next to a despairing emoji.

Should homeowners associations be able to determine what you grow in your garden? Yes 💯 Only if it impacts your neighbors 🏘️ Depends on what you're growing 🌼 Heck no 🙅 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more and waste less, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.