Homeowner warned after sharing misguided landscaping plan: 'A waste of time/money'

A homeowner got a reality check on Reddit after sharing their lofty expectation for their landscaped yard.

On the r/landscaping subreddit, the OP posted that they paid for what they called "light landscaping," which included removing existing brush, a wooden border replaced with a stone one, and new plants, soil, and mulch.

Their issue was that after seven weeks, they had seen weed growth. The company they hired said no landscape fabric was used and that they could come and remove the weeds for $100 and add the fabric for $325. 

Despite admitting that they understand there's no guarantee weeds won't grow, they wondered, "Am I wrong to be frustrated with company? Am I out of touch to expect longer than 7 weeks? Is garden fabric not industry standard?"

The OP's interest in landscape fabric was called out by Redditors in the comments. 

"Garden fabric doesn't stop weeds, and realistically weeds could grow back within 2 weeks. You're just gonna have to hand pull or fork up the 100 but adding garden fabric is a waste of time/money," one person shared. 

According to the College of Agricultural, Consumer & Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, landscape fabric is only effective for a few years and can compact the soil, while also preventing water from permeating, damaging the other plants trying to grow. 

Landscape fabric is typically made of plastic, which breaks down over time and sheds microplastics into the soil. As holes appear in the fabric, it allows space for weeds to flourish, defeating the purpose of the product. 

Weeds can be controlled with natural products, like mulch, or even cardboard and newspaper under the topsoil. It can also be beneficial to simply switch to a native lawn, which requires less time, maintenance, and money to keep up the quality. Native plants need fewer additional resources, like water and fertilizers, because they're better suited to the environment around them. Some plants, like clover, even work as natural weed suppressants, reducing the concern with removal.

Other people in the comments called out the OP's unrealistic expectations for keeping weeds at bay.

One person said that there's no need to argue with the company because they completed the service asked for, and weeds tend to grow quickly, plus, "Weeds happen regardless of 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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