Homeowner shares devastating warning after ripping up yard mistake piece by piece: 'I was also fooled'

Don't fall for the false promises of landscaping fabric. 

You live, you install landscaping fabric, and you learn. YouTuber and home DIYer Sarah (@graceinmyspace) shared a short video urging others to avoid installing landscaping fabric in their gardens.

"I was also fooled," she says. "Would you like to see how well weed fabric prevents weeds?"

Sarah shows off a strip of landscaping fabric, which has several large weeds embedded in it and an entire system of roots tangled underneath. The fabric comes up in shreds, and she painstakingly removes three layers.

"Do yourself a favor. Don't put down landscape fabric. Instead, if you want a weed barrier, put down cardboard and then just mulch, mulch, mulch," she says.

Landscaping fabric is usually made from synthetic materials such as polypropylene or polyester, but it can also be made of linen or burlap. Although it's advertised as a cheap and easy way to keep weeds at bay, landscaping fabric is mostly a waste of money.

The fabric is ineffective. Determined weeds will wiggle their way through the plastic, entangling themselves and becoming even more difficult to remove. 

It also lowers the quality of the soil, so surrounding plants will suffer. Over time, the plastic fabric degrades and can leach toxic chemicals such as petroleum into the ground.

If that wasn't enough, removing the fabric is another nightmare. Homeowners frequently share their landscaping fabric removal horror stories to deter others from making the same mistakes.

To keep weeds away, use natural alternatives such as cardboard, newspaper, hay, or paper mulch. These eco-friendly materials work better than plastic alternatives, and removal isn't necessary. They break down over time and release nutrients into the soil.

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.

Many commenters learned the truth about landscaping fabric the hard way.

"I just went through this. I feel your pain," one user said.

"Went [through] it too, spent time, money and sweat to lay down, fabric and mulch," another said. "Weeds were up and running crazy next year."

"It's horrible stuff for so many reasons," a third commenter agreed. "It doesn't work!"

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