A tool sometimes used in landscaping to control weeds is putting the long-term health of trees at risk, an expert from the University of Maryland warns.
Synthetic landscape fabric is intended to suppress the growth of weeds by blocking them from water and the sun.
As Miri points out in a YouTube video, the problem with this approach is that it can harm the plants you want to keep. "Long-term use can be a problem," they say.
Miri lifts a flap of the fabric wrapped around a tree to show how it's restricting the tree's roots. "This is very tight on this tree. This needs to be cut away," they say.
The expert shows how landscape fabric, like overmulching, can cause a tree's roots to girdle. This phenomenon occurs when a tree's roots don't have enough room to spread and wrap around the trunk, restricting water and nutrients.
"You don't want to compromise the long-term health of your trees by having something like landscape fabric interfere with root growth," Miri concludes.
The problems with landscape fabric don't end there. When made from plastics, it can contaminate the soil with microplastic particles. Landscape fabric does more harm than good, even when made with organic materials, as it blocks off and kills critical microorganisms.
According to a blog post from the University of Illinois, the worst part is that landscape fabric isn't even all that good at stopping weeds anyway.
Rewilding with native plants is a better, more sustainable way to manage a garden. A natural lawn offers environmental and financial benefits. It boosts the ecosystem by making it more amenable to pollinators and requires much less maintenance.
For those in hotter, drier climates, xeriscaping with drought-resistant plants is an excellent way to use much less water while enjoying a beautiful garden.
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