A homeowner's post about their decision to plant a Japanese maple turned into a cautionary tale for others who want to start doing their own yard projects.
The Reddit video, posted in r/Arborists, shows a freshly planted tree surrounded by red mulch and landscaping fabric, and the homeowner asked how they did. In the post, the original poster explained that they dug below the clay layer, backfilled it with topsoil, and covered it with fabric and mulch.
(Click here to watch the video if the embed does not appear.)
The OP responded to a warning to remove the fabric: "I'm amenable, but why? Thought it helped with the weeds."
According to commenters, Japanese maples have shallow root systems that rely on easy access to air and water near the soil surface.
One commenter wrote that weeds often grow on top of the fabric, making it ineffective while also interfering with root health and development.
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Another said the fabric weed barrier can cause water to run off the sides instead of soaking evenly into the soil, impacting shallow roots. The OP later wrote that they removed the fabric because they wanted the tree to be healthy in the long term.
According to a previous account about landscape fabric, people often expect it to reduce maintenance, but later find it tangles with roots and creates more work when plants need replacing. Another homeowner said their perennials weren't able to multiply or grow after their landscaper put down landscaping fabric when the house was built.
Other than the wasted money and time, there are environmental downsides to using the fabric. According to the Institute for Energy Research, landscape fabric is typically made from synthetic plastic that can break down over time and interfere with soil health. It's also noted that it doesn't even provide lasting weed control, so the disrupted water flow and poor soil aren't worth it.
Upgrading your lawn by planting native plants or growing environmentally friendly lawns, such as clover or buffalo grass are environmentally friendly way to cut down on maintenance and other costs.
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"Yep, remove fabric, you'll stunt growth of the Japanese maple. They have very shallow roots. I made the same mistake," one commenter wrote in the thread.
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