Working With Landscape Fabric

Landscape fabric. It is not a particularly pretty topic, but bear with me. I think this is a series of posts worth reading if you plan to create a courtyard or pathway.


I always loved the look of gravel pathways and courtyards. They seem very old-world and even a bit romantic to me.
So when I planned out my garden, a little over ten years ago now, I included gravel pathways that would give the large circular garden at the very back of the property the European look I so admired.













This type of pathway also appealed to me as an affordable alternative to more expensive hardscaping with bricks or stone.
On top of the pleasing aesthetics, gravel paths seemed like a very doable project: you simply lay down some landscape fabric and cover it over with gravel. Sounds easy enough, doesn't it?
As best as I knew, landscape cloth was what professionals used for such an undertaking. Its use as a weed deterrent in flowerbeds was also very familiar. Here in Ontario, landscape cloth is commonly used as a low maintenance method of keeping weeds at bay in the public gardens that skirt new housing developments.






Though this method seems like a great way to suppress weeds, I have found that it is actually fraught with problems. It appears to work initially, but the benefits are short-lived.
I even would go so far as to say I would never ever use landscape fabric in a flowerbed.
And here's why:
Even with regular raking, flowers and leaves are bound to fall onto the surface material (gravel, mulch, bark, etc.) and break down. That little bit of compost, added to the excellent drainage the landscape cloth provides, will actually work contrary to the originally intended purpose of suppressing weeds.






Moving or dividing perennials will be more work than it would be in a conventional flowerbed. You'll have to rake away the surface covering (mulch, gravel etc.) and attempt to dig out the plant whose root ball will have grown well beyond the size of the original hole you cut into the landscape fabric.
Planting the new division involves more raking away the surface material, cutting a new hole, planting and finally raking back the surface material. Trust me, you are going to be cursing that darn landscape cloth!
The landscape cloth will make it impossible to add nutrition like compost or manure that your plants may require.
Beneficial insects and earthworms, which aerate the soil, will find the landscape cloth blocks their natural movements and will avoid the area.
Even the tiniest hole in your cloth is an open invitation for weeds. I have even found that weeds don't even need a hole. They will sometimes spread out there roots along the surface of the cloth and live quite happily.
In an upcoming post, I will expand on my own experiences and express further concerns about any use of landscape cloth.
Sadly, there aren't a lot of alternatives, so I'll touch on the various grade of cloth available, as well as share what I have found is the best way to work with this problematic material.







Original article and pictures take http://www.hometalk.com/9986598/my-troubles-with-landscape-fabric site