!["There is almost no reason to use [it]."](https://www.thecooldown.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/landscaping-fabricimage-recwRXIu70Cy06RCY-1.jpg?w=1920&h=800)
A homeowner planning to transform their yard reached out to Reddit's r/landscaping forum for advice. Looking to replace their lawn with lavender, mulch, and rocks, the OP first needed to tackle the pesky bindweed growing in their yard.
After consulting contractors, the OP was told to place commercial-grade weed fabric onto their lawn to get rid of bindweed. But since the OP was planning on just using cardboard to hinder the weed growth, they reached out to Reddit for some guidance.
Fellow gardeners in the subreddit warned the OP about using landscaping fabric.
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What's the hardest thing about taking care of your yard? Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
Mowing the lawn 🏡 "[The landscaping fabric] won't prevent any weed growth and will just be a major pain in the neck in the long run," responded one user.
"There is almost no reason to use weed fabric," wrote another Redditor. "It does not even do the things it is supposed to do, let alone the ecological disaster of it."
As the Redditors highlighted, weed fabric does more harm than good. They not only leach toxic microplastics into the ground, but they also prevent water from reaching plant roots. This can cause your plants to dry out and eventually die.
After adding landscaping fabric to your lawn, you may also notice a decline in your yard's soil health. Since the fabric acts as a barrier, earthworms are unable to aerate the soil, resulting in compact soil that limits root growth and nutrient uptake.
Instead of using landscaping fabric to combat weeds, opt for natural alternatives, such as cardboard or mulch. Another way you can deter weeds is by rewilding your yard or switching to a native-plant lawn.
Since native plants have adapted to the local environment, they conserve water and don't require the help of fertilizers to grow. In fact, you can save $225 on water and $100 on fertilizers and pesticides each year after installing a native-plant lawn.
From an environmental standpoint, native plants attract key pollinators, such as butterflies and bees, which promote the health of the entire ecosystem. You may also notice more birds flocking to your yard, as native plants provide foraging sites and food sources for local wildlife.
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Redditors continued to discuss the pitfalls of weed fabrics and urged the OP to take other actions.
"Weed block fabric is a waste of money and time," wrote one user. "Weeds will grow from seed *on top of* either weed block fabric or heavy plastic."
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