Anyone use landscape fabric?
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The house we moved into has a nice perimeter of garden/landscaping. Mostly trees and shrubs. Unfortunately I don't think the previous owners maintained it much over the last couple years as you can see landscaping fabric (i.e., allows water through, tries to stop weeds from growing).
Sure, I could just throw more mulch on top of it, but as we want to remove some plants, add others, etc.....I just know dealing with the fabric will be a pain. Anyone else use/have this in their garden or yard?
I have a feeling I'll just have to deal with each section at a time, whether that is pulling up and removing fabric in an area, or cutting the fabric to remove or add plants.
Here is a picture from a basement window (sorry it's fuzzy as it's through a screened window), but for an idea:
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There is cheap landscape cover, good landscape cover and there's row cover.
Just depends on how heavy it is and how well it allows moisture and nutrients to pass through.
Cut and plant, or if it's very heavy, use a small propane torch and burn a small hole.
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Jolly’s right about the varying quality. One body I buried wrapped in the cheap stuff is already compost. The other is still pretty intact…
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@jolly said in Anyone use landscape fabric?:
Never forget to shoot a large stray dog and bury it on top of the dismembered human body. And don't forget to bury the body at least 18" under the dog.
Of course, a horse is better...
Just last night I watched the movie 1922 on Netflix. A Stephen King movie where the farmer buries a cow over his wife, great cover.
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Landscape fabric doesn’t work. No matter what grade.
Use cardboard — all those Amazon boxes— and mulch over them. They’ll deteriorate over a year or two, but compost themselves until next year when you can do it again and mulch over again. Weed proof, and better for the soil.
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Started the garden changes today… pulled up 4 spirea plants that were deeply rooted, plus some landscape fabric near them…what a PITA (well pain in the back, really). Replacing them with hostas. Anyway, with some good old fashioned digging with my gloves on, I was able to locate it and rip apart the landscape fabric relatively easily with a box cutter.
I’m definitely only addressing the landscape fabric wherever I have to, otherwise letting it remain as-is.
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@ivorythumper said in Anyone use landscape fabric?:
Landscape fabric doesn’t work. No matter what grade.
Use cardboard — all those Amazon boxes— and mulch over them. They’ll deteriorate over a year or two, but compost themselves until next year when you can do it again and mulch over again. Weed proof, and better for the soil.
This.
The fabric won't stop the weeds after a few years, and you may be at that point sooner than you expect. Getting rid of it is a pain, but will be better in the long term. Trying to remove it after you've put money into new plants will frustrate you and your lovely bride. Get rid of it before you make other changes. You will be glad later, and I promise not to say 'I told you so.'