A DIY expert has joined the chorus of people calling out landscape fabric online, labelling the product a "scam" and urging viewers to use mulch instead.
"Can we stop acting like professional landscape fabric actually does something?" YouTuber Jeremy (@DebtFreeDIY) asked in a video. "It doesn't actually block any weeds, and it actually creates the perfect space for them."
Landscape fabric is marketed as a way to avoid the hassle of pulling weeds, but experts like Jeremy have criticized the product for being ineffective, expensive, and bad for your plants and soil.
"You think you're creating a barrier to prevent weeds from coming in from below, but a lot of times weeds are actually just coming in from the top side," explained Jeremy. "Not only that, but landscape fabric, it breaks down, it tears, it traps moisture."
"The better move is just to use three or four inches of good mulch," Jeremy recommended.
Other experts have agreed that landscape fabric causes more problems than it solves.
"One of the main reasons why I always recommend avoiding the use of landscape fabric in a garden is that its use can seriously damage and degrade the soil ecosystem below it," Elizabeth Waddington, a gardening expert, wrote in Treehugger.
Landscape fabric hinders the natural flow of air and water through soil, hurting microorganisms that rely on those things to survive. This degrades the quality of the soil and its ability to support plants, said Waddington.
Further, landscape fabrics are often made of synthetic materials derived from oil. When these fabrics break down in the soil, which they often do, it causes ecological damage.
"Microplastic particles and harmful compounds can break off over time and enter the environment," warned Waddington. "This can be particularly problematic if you are growing edible plants."
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No way 🙅 In the comments to Jeremy's YouTube video, users expressed their agreement with the experts and shared their own landscape-fabric horror stories.
"100% true," said one. "I've found a good mulch is a better weed [deterrent] than that crappy fabric."
"It makes the perfect home for ants!" exclaimed another user. "I just pulled up our 'weed barrier' and there's a huge ant colony under it."
In addition to using organic mulches, Waddington had some other suggestions for how to create a low-maintenance garden without landscape fabric. By densely planting perennials, self-seeders, and ground cover like clover, you can leave less room for weeds to grow.
"By choosing the right combinations of plants for your polyculture (which will not overly compete with one another), you can sow more densely, with a layered planting scheme," advised Waddington in Treehugger.
This is done most effectively by using native plants, which have evolved to coexist with one another in your specific climate. Similarly, switching to a natural lawn or rewilding your yard can reduce landscaping time while also saving money on water and providing a habitat for pollinators.
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