— Nan Sterman
While there are lots of great garden products on the market, some are questionable. Weed cloth is one of the questionable products. Is it good? Is it bad? Is there any reason to use it?
Weed cloth, weed fabric, weed barrier, and landscape fabric are all names for materials sold by the roll or sheet, to be laid atop the soil with the vague promise of stopping weeds; but does it? And if it does, is it the best way to stop weeds?
Weed basics
All soil contains weed seeds – at the surface, below the surface, often several inches deep. That’s just reality. When temperatures are right and there’s enough moisture in the soil to “activate” seeds, they germinate and start growing. In our climate, spring is typically the weediest time if year, once the soils warm after fall and winter rains, but weed management is a year-round task.
The idea behind weed cloth is that you spread over the soil to eliminate weeds. To some extent that is true. Once weed seeds germinate, those tiny sprouts need sunlight so they can photosynthesize and make the energy to grow. Weed cloth keeps sprouts in the dark so they soon die from lack of sunlight and therefor, lack of energy.
Weed Cloth vs Mulch
Weed cloth is pretty ugly, so we hide it under a layer of mulch. But did you know that mulch alone accomplishes the same thing? Mulch not only keeps weed sprouts in the dark, it has the added value of nourishing both beneficial microbes and decomposers that live in the soil. Mulch also improves the drainage of heavy soils and the water holding capacity of fast draining soils. As mulch breaks down, it releases nutrients that eventually benefit plants, too.
Weed cloth laid out between mulch and soil acts as a physical barrier so the soil gets none of the important benefits from mulch.
Weed Cloth Short Term vs Long Term
Aside from seeds, pernicious weeds like Bermuda grass eventually penetrate weed cloth. They
grow up along edges, poke out between seams, and as weed cloth starts to break down, weeds grow up through holes that develop. Soon, we gardeners are left with a mess of tattered black cloth to pull out and get rid of. Not fun.
Some contractors see a short-term benefit in using weed cloth to finish a project so it appears as if all the weeds are gone. But long term, those weeds will come back to haunt you. And you will have spent money on something that is a total unnecessary.
All of this work, by the way, is targeted at weeds coming from the soil. Nothing stops weed seeds from blowing in on the wind, arriving with bird poop, falling off your shoes or dropping off your dog’s fur. Weeds, like dishes and laundry, are inevitable. But weeds don’t root very tightly in mulch, so they are easy to pull when you see them.
A Role for Weed Cloth
Is there a place for weed cloth? In my little backyard nursery, I use the thickest weed cloth under pots so plants don’t root through their pots into the soil below. Beyond that, I wouldn’t waste my time or money.
Good article, Nan
Thanks!
I have found another use for weed cloth. I use it as a filter on top of my home made rain barrels also keeps mosquitos out !
What about the use of weed cloth under rocks? Rocks are increasingly integrated into landscape designs. Gaps between larger rocks allow seeds to meet the soil and germinate. Placing a weed cloth under the rocks provides at least some prevention against this.
Weed cloth might offer initial protection against seeds settling and germinating but over time, you’ll see an accumulation of soil in the crevices between the rocks and eventually, that will become a seedbed. It would take but a year or two for that to happen. Better to plan for spacing so you can mulch and weed in between the rocks.
Nan,
I left the comment on Nextdoor about Weed Cloth which led to the link to you. I have not been on your web site, although I do get to watch you via TV on occasion.
I did go Water Smart, remove Grass and Sprinklers. Brought truckloads of Compost and Mulch, all of which needs to be replenished soon. Is it wise to wait for the Rains to end?
What I am seeing on my front yard is encroaching Bermuda grass.. I did not realize to what extent u til Cox opened their Box on my yard and all the wires and inside the box was a tangle of Weeds. The individual who found this, closed the box and left. Cox had to send one of their own out as the other was a “contractor to Cox.”
Is there a way to get on top of this? I cannot any longer walk safely in my yard, my age and balance are in my way. Cannot afford professional services.
Thanks,
Terrie
Hi Terrie
It sounds like you have done a great job up to this point. Since the soil is pretty much saturated now, it is fine to go head and spread the compost and mulch. They will capture and hold additional rain on site so it is a win-win.
As for the bermuda grass, that is a real bugger. If you can’t afford professional services, how about finding a neighborhood teenager who would dig out the Bermuda for a small amount of money? Or the person who will be spreading the mulch and compost?
Great post. As we are planning to lay our new turf in our backyard, our turf supplier recommends Zoysia grass for our yard which is best to grow in both shade and sunlight with less maintenance, I prefer Empire Zoysia turf. Here I got ideas of Bermuda turf to use for the various purpose and soil types. Thanks for Sharing.