Landscape fabric, a type of geotextile, works nicely to avoid most weed growth in a garden bed. It’s best suited to perennial gardens since it works better if the bed isn’t constantly disturbed by planting and replanting. The fabric, sometimes referred to as weed fabric or weed fabric, allows air and moisture through the surface, while stopping weeds from growing up through the bottom. When combined with natural mulches, landscape fabric prevents almost all bud growth in your garden.
Getting Ready
Before you lay the cloth, you need to ready the place if you are putting it over a brand new garden bed. Till in any fertilizer, compost or amendments and remove rocks and other debris. In existing beds, rake up any old organic mulch, such as wood chips, and remove any weeds or undesirable plants before you begin. If you want to use drip irrigation in the bed, then lay the irrigation lines before you set up the cloth. After preparing the ground, rake the surface so that it’s smooth and level so that the cloth will sit flush with the ground.
Roll It Out
Landscape fabric just prevents weeds when it remains in position. Digging a 3- to 6-inch deep trench around borders of the bed provides an anchor trench. Lay the cloth over the surface of the soil with the fuzzy side, smoothing it out so it is in complete contact with the ground. Overlap the edges by 6 inches so there are no gaps between the sheets. If there are plants in the lawn, cut an X in the cloth with scissors or a utility knife that is big enough to slide the plant through. Fold the edges under after you lay the landscape fabric set so that the edges of the fabric don’t touch the stems of the plants. Push the edges of the fabric into the trench, and then fill the trench with dirt to anchor the cloth in place.
Planting Tips
Put new plants after you set up the cloth. The bed has to be watered either before or after you lay the cloth, but before you plant, so it is evenly moist to at least 6 inches deep. For each plant, then cut a hole in the cloth 3 to 4 inches bigger than the main stems. If the plant has slender stalks but massive roots, you can cut an X in the cloth instead. Plant through the hole or X, placing the plant at the exact same depth it was growing previously. For holes utilizing the X process, fold the edges of the cloth under so that it does not break against the plant comes. Water the plants immediately following setting them in position.
Keeping It Working
Landscape fabric may last five years or more after it is installed if it is treated properly. Avoid cutting holes in the cloth than needed to the plants, and don’t leave planting holes vacant when a plant dies. If loose borders appear, anchor them down promptly with garden fundamentals. Once a rip starts or weeds figure out how to breach the fabric, it may quickly deteriorate and become ineffective. Covering the fabric with a 1-inch layer of bark chips or other organic mulch enhances the appearance of the garden bed and protects the cloth, but check that the mulch weekly for any weeds that germinate from the mulch layer. Eliminate these weeds prior to the roots penetrate through the cloth under.