5 Reasons to Skip Landscape Fabric in Your Garden Beds

Claudia Parrott
November 3, 2023

Landscape fabric sucks.

Gardening has always been about using time-honored techniques that have worked for ages. But sometimes, new products pop up, claiming to make gardening easier. Take landscape fabric—it’s sold as a great way to stop weeds, but it might not be the wonder solution it’s cracked up to be.

Let’s pause at the 5 “amazing” benefits you’ll supposedly miss by not smothering your soil in plastic.

Suffocates your soil

Laying down landscape fabric in your garden can actually mess with the soil’s natural setup. Soil is way more than just dirt; it’s like a bustling city for all sorts of helpful tiny creatures—earthworms, good bacteria, and fungi. These little guys are super important because they help break down stuff in the soil to make food for plants, help air get through the soil, and keep plants healthy.

But here’s the problem: when you put that fabric on top of the soil, it’s like putting a roadblock in the middle of that bustling city. The earthworms, which are really great at making the soil rich and fluffy, can’t get around as they need to. Imagine if you wanted to go to your favorite pizza place and there’s a huge wall blocking your way—that’s what it’s like for the worms. This means the soil doesn’t get all the good stuff it needs from the worms, and over time, this can make the soil not so great for plants.

2. Weed-free dreams fade quickly

The idea of never pulling up weeds again is pretty tempting, and that’s what landscape fabric seems to offer at the start. It feels like you’re setting up a magic shield against those unwelcome garden invaders. But here’s the reality check – that weed-free paradise is a short-lived fantasy.

Over the months, nature does its thing, and bits of leaves, twigs, and all kinds of organic stuff accumulate on top of that fabric. Before you know it, there’s enough earthy material for seeds to say, “Hey, that looks like a cozy spot!” and sprout right there. And those little seedlings? They grow into a fresh batch of weeds you’ll have to contend with.

And don’t get me started on the die-hard weeds that muscle their way through the fabric. These tough guys punch right through your carefully laid-out barrier. Once they’re through, they weave their roots into the fabric like they’re stitching a tapestry. Trying to pull these weeds out is like wrestling with Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson – it’s a gardener’s nightmare.

3. The ‘durable’ plastic blanket eventually degrades over time

Landscape fabric may strut around like it’s got all the answers, dressed in promises of durability, but don’t be fooled. It’s just a plastic wannabe that can’t handle the spotlight for long. UV rays, moody weather, and just the daily drama of garden life will leave it frayed and tattered, turning your tidy garden into a hot mess. And that ‘forever young’ act it puts on? Pure fiction.

Brace yourself for an encore of maintenance and replacement way before you’re ready to applaud.

4. You better be certain of your plant placement!

Landscape fabric can turn your garden into a no-flex zone. If you’re like many of us who garden by trial and error—planting here, moving there, giving our plant buds a new spot if they’re not thriving—then you’ll find that landscape fabric is more of a hassle than a help.

It demands a commitment to your first choice, locking plants in like concrete. Want to shift a bush a few inches? Prepare for a workout. You’ll be digging up, clearing soil, mending the fabric, slicing a new hole, then planting and cleaning again before you can even think about taking a break. It’s like the fabric is saying, “You better be sure,” every time you consider moving a plant.

Trust me, the extra sweat and second-guessing will make you miss the easygoing days of gardening—where reimagining your space didn’t come with a list of chores and aching muscles.

5. Water and nutrient obstruction

Your plants are thirsty for that water and hungry for nutrients, and they need an all-access pass to get their fill.

This fabric, however, can throw a wrench in the works. It can act like an umbrella, causing water to run off instead of soaking into the soil where roots can drink it up.

Also, when you try to feed your garden with compost or fertilizer, this fabric can act like a barrier, keeping all that good stuff from mixing into the soil. So, in a twist, what was supposed to help your garden could end up starving your plants instead.

So, what are the best alternative options for a weed(ish) free garden?

Mulching: A 4″ thick layer of organic mulch, such as wood chips or straw, not only suppresses weeds but also breaks down over time to enrich the soil.
Ground Covers: Planting low-growing ground covers can outcompete weeds and also add beauty to your garden.
No-Dig Gardening: Techniques like no-dig or lasagna gardening build up beds with layers of organic material that suppress weeds and improve soil health over time.
Manual Weeding and Hoeing: While more labor-intensive, these traditional methods control weeds without the adverse side effects of landscape fabric.

“Mmm I still like the idea of landscape fabric”

Okay okay, I wasn’t convincing. If you still decide to use landscape fabric after reading this article, there’s an alternative ground cover topping that could minimize some issues associated with organic mulches: beach stone.

When you place beach stone over landscape fabric, you create a more stable surface that doesn’t retain moisture and organic matter as mulch does. This means fewer chances for weeds to find a hospitable place to take root on top of the fabric.