A gardening influencer took to TikTok to decry a common mistake: installing landscape fabric.
"Nobody needs landscape fabric," said Jess (@youcandoitgardening) in a TikTok video.
@youcandoitgardening ♬ original sound - You Can Do It Gardening
The garden coach vented their frustration with landscape fabric in the video, saying, "This doesn't work. It's like a scam."
Landscape fabric, also known as weed barrier fabric, is marketed as a way to suppress weeds in yards. However, professional landscapers frequently lament that the material is a waste of time and money.
"Weeds still settle," Jess explained. "Nature does not like a vacuum. It's gonna fill it with something."
"They go into the fabric. Then it's very difficult to get them out because the roots get all entangled," Jess added.
Their advice? Get rid of any landscape fabric that's already installed before it gets even harder to remove.
Not only is weed barrier ineffective; "it's plastic in your garden," Jess said.
Most landscaping fabric doesn't biodegrade, as it is made from synthetic materials such as polyester and polypropylene. Instead, it releases toxic microplastics into the environment.
The layer of plastic also damages the soil underneath, which is bad for the health of the plants that people think they're protecting.
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No way 🙅 Landscapers suggest planting natural lawns instead of investing in expensive, ineffective woven plastic.
Professionals recommend alternative ground covers such as clover to keep unwanted weeds in check or natural mulch such as wood chips to foster a healthy soil microbiome. Rubber mulch should be avoided, as it's another environmental pollutant.
Installing native plants and grasses can save money, reduce time spent on maintenance, and lower water bills. Besides adding a splash of color, native wildflowers are a boon to pollinators. This benefits humans, as pollinators are vital for the food supply.
There are many benefits to rewilding a yard and few to using landscaping fabric. As Jess explained, "It's a hassle, it doesn't work, and it's not good for the soil."
Commenters on the video were on board with Jess' take.
"I've spent 8 years trying to fix the layer of packed, dead soil I found when I ripped out landscaping fabric in the yard of the house I bought," said one.
"It should be considered an environmental hazard and banned," another commenter wrote.
"This is one of the biggest mistakes I ever made as a novice gardener," confessed a commenter. "Years later I'm still working to dig it all out."
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