Lawn care and landscaping can be intimidating for newbies, so the people of Reddit's r/landscaping pulled together to help a first-timer avoid a popular, problematic approach to yard maintenance.
"Mulch? Rock? Fabric? What!?" was the partial title of a thread submitted by a "lost" beginner who was utterly overwhelmed by the question of how to manage their yard.
The original poster and their fiancé had scant landscaping experience. On top of that, a not-so-helpful neighbor kept popping up with unwanted advice and "'tips' that just don't make sense."
The couple was leaning toward "some weed barrier fabric," believing it would reduce the time spent weeding. Luckily, the subreddit had informed opinions about the dubious value of weed barriers.
Although landscape fabric is indeed extremely common, there's a reason landscapers, gardeners, botanists, and horticulturists alike hate the stuff.
Not only is its ability to suppress weeds negligible and short term, but it also suffocates the soil while leaching unhealthy microplastics. It's not even an efficient way to control weeds.
"Personally, I don't think weed barrier is great, we use it often because people request it not because we believe it's worth it," a polite full-time landscaper explained.
Using a "weed barrier can create worse problems after time," they added, advising the OP to consider mulch as an alternative.
A second commenter heartily agreed and didn't mince words in their reply. "Landscape fabric[s] are not weed barriers. There's a bad but prevalent practice of burying it … which tanks your soil health and ensures that only shallow root weeds can thrive in the bed," they warned.
"Please make sure that the plants aren't invasive to your area. Natives are best! I recommend mulch without a weed barrier," another helpful user commented. Upgrading to a natural lawn and rewilding your yard are two of the most underrated approaches to the OP's dilemma, even when done in part.
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Ultimately, the OP warmed up to "hand weeding" as an alternative to landscape fabric. "Growing up I remember weeding with my gram as a little one so it'll be nostalgic," they said.
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