The Best Landscape Fabric for Weed Prevention

Buying the perfect landscape fabric shouldn't be too tricky, and it won't be a walk in the park as well. In this guide, we will explore all you need to know before you buy one.

Types of Landscaping Fabric

Knowing the different types of landscaping fabric will help simplify your search.

Burlap

Burlap represents a perfect choice for nurseries. Aside from keeping the weeds in check, it also provides excellent resistance against rotting and insects.

Woven landscape fabric

Woven landscape fabric helps prevent weeds from growing while also sealing in the moisture to give you healthier plants. 

Plastic fabric

Somebody may use plastic materials for gardens that use drip irrigation. Also, somebody may use them in rock gardens to prevent vegetation from growing in raised flower beds before the soil gets added. Plastic fabric offers the most weed control, as weed seeds cannot sprout nor create roots through the material. 

Nonwoven landscape fabric

The nonwoven landscape fabric is both easy to set up and lightweight. It is designed to protect your plants from weeds and frost while also allowing the entrance of nutrients and water.

Things To Know Before You Buy Landscape Fabric

In flower and vegetable gardens, plants moved frequently. With landscape fabrics laid across the area, this becomes quite difficult, which is why you should strictly consider using landscape fabric for weed control between rows alone. Note that soils covered using landscape fabric tend to compact with time because of the poor aeration and reduced earthworm population in the area. Landscape fabrics are ideal for use in areas with permanent shrubs and trees without plans to plant in the future.

Durability and thickness

Thicker fabrics generally cost more, so you should choose broader barriers in gravel areas where the rock may wear out thinner materials over time. Another thing you should consider is tough weeds because some of them can grow through weak barriers. Do not use heavy duty landscape fabric where you find herbs, vegetables, and the likes because the roots of these plants may lie close to the top, and this may crush them. Instead, go for perforated and thinner options to provide weed control when looking for a suitable fabric.

Resistance to UV rays

Excessive exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays can cause a couple of adverse effects on the fabric. It suffices to say that these barriers need the spreading of a layer of gravel or mulch over the material to cut down the UV light exposure. You will easily find many of the garden fabric products labeled UV stabilized or resistant. When you see "Resistant," it simply means that the fabric has some unique features which make it less prone to the negative effects of sunlight. In the case of those "UV stabilized," they have been made to resist the UV light effect.

Roll size

Make sure you have a good idea of the amount of fabric you will need to get your project done. You will usually find rolls in widths of at least 3 feet and lengths of up to 300 feet. Depending on the area of your vegetable garden or landscaping, ascertain the needed width and height for the job. Also, make provision for some overlap.

Durability

Buying and installing a landscape fabric ought to be not too tough. However, the fabric installation can be hard to repeat when replacing the material as it gets old. Choosing the perfect weed barrier for the correct application is vital for getting the most value for your money. The durability of the fabric hinges on factors such as application, temperature, and exposure.

Why Should I Use Landscaping Fabrics?

If you still haven’t made up your mind on the need to use landscaping fabric, here are some benefits you will enjoy using them.

They help prevent waterlogging

If the land is flat or the water table is high, you need to have a properly laid out drainage system. Without such a system, water may cause damage to the entire system and even drown valuable plants. If you have some parts of your lawn or flower bed that are prone to waterlogging, you need to have the proper drainage solution in place. Using the perfect landscaping fabrics should help you take care of this problem easily.

They prevent gravel and soil from moving around unnecessarily

If you consider covering your driveway using stone, you may need a strong textile membrane to keep the stone in place, so it doesn't spill on the road. These fabrics are made to allow the flow of water while helping to stabilize the aggregate inside and act as a sort of erosion control.

They help to separate the different soil parts

When the soil in your home gets compacted due to excessive use, it may lead to some undesirable problems. Geotextiles are pretty helpful in keeping the different soil parts separate to prevent rutting and sinking, which is caused by aggregates that settle in the soil below.

Less time gardening

If you are tired of struggling with weeds in your borders and beds, weed control fabrics can help you out. These fabrics allow water, air, and nutrients to go through, even though they prevent weeds from coming out from the dormant plants beneath.

How to Install Landscape Fabric

Now that you know the benefits of landscape fabric and how to pick out a good product, it's time to install the material. While putting down landscape fabric isn't difficult, there are some key things to know to make the job easier. To learn how to do it best, watch this video from Thee Hustle House. 

Final Thoughts

Knowing what to look for before buying a landscaping fabric will save you a lot of time, energy, and resources. This guide and product reviews were designed to help simplify your search and help you find the perfect product, and we hope it achieves that purpose.