Landscape fabric and weed control

[fishnguy]

So I dug up an area two years ago and cleared it from all the roots to the best of my abilities, put a planting box in the middle and threw landscape fabric around it. The plan was/is to cover the fabric with rocks that I already have (they just need to be moved from one place in the garden to this and then the process repeated where I moved them from with digging it all up and removing roots, etc, lol), which I slowly started doing this summer, as time and weather allowed, which it didn’t much, really.

Where the fabric lay for a couple of years now, no weeds or anything has grown since, not even one. The area where I put the rocks in place this summer has quite a few. I pull them out once in a while, but that’s one thing I was hoping to avoid doing with the use of fabric. I understand why they start growing (likely the fabric is now pressed tight against the soil, which allows for the roots to find its way through the fabric), but how do I fight it without the use of round-up and the like? Is there another, better way to deal with it?







Stuff starts growing pretty much everywhere where the fabric is pressed again the soil.

Any thoughts and success stores would be appreciated

[EZM]

I have the best results using the heavy weight woven fabric that looks like a tarp on one side and fuzzy on the other. If you lay the fuzzy side down, and leave no gaps, there will not be any weed growth penetrating that fabric - even after 10-15 years.

HOWEVER

There always the possibility the a little dirt and seeds blow in on top, settle between the rock and sprout. There is no way to avoid that but if it's not Roundup, it's a quick pull to get those up (just plant your foot near the weed so in case it's stuck to the fabric you don't pull the fabric up.

It more likely this is the issue, weed blows in from the top and attaches (sticks) itself to the fabric instead of growing through the barrier and rocks.

It's 4 times the price of that cheap paper crap - but lay it down once and never have to deal with issues again.

https://www.amazon.ca/Professional-L...=msncahydra-20

[Tungsten,]

I’m in the same. Rocks catch dust/seeds as the wind blows,killex is what I use usually twice a season.

[CNP]

You Will have weeds come up even with the best fabric. It will grow on top with seeds and soil blown in from the wind. You will either have to pick the weeds or use herbicides.

[Quest206]

You can lay newspaper underneath the barrier cloth that you are using. If you go 6-10 sheets thick it works very well and in time will compost itself.

[fishnguy]

Thanks for the replies and suggestions. Yes, that’s what I meant by fabric pressing tight against the soil: the seeds now have access to moisture that they don’t have on the fabric that is open, even the patches where there is clear accumulation of dust/soil.

The real problem is the neighbours’ yard:



Once they stopped using their planting boxes, they have 4 of them, I believe, they also stopped taking care of the **** that is growing in them altogether. I had many more weeds this year than ever before, including the lawn that is usually clean (it is now as well, but with a lot more effort than usually). Usually dandelions is the common stuff I deal with on the lawn, this year it has been little bit and lots of everything, lol.

[ruffy71]

Digging up fabric this summer, replacing that and the mulch.

I haven't found any weeds growing through the fabric anywhere, but enough dust, disintegrating mulch etc etc has settled on top of the fabric to create a thick enough layer for lots of things to grow on top of the fabric.

I don't imagine it would take more than a few years for that layer to support growth.

[EZM]

To that point, the very best, longest lasting result I have ever got using fabric where kinda by accident and chance.

Had a load of 20mm (3/4 crush) delivered to do a interlocking patio and some fence posts (mixed some Portland to make a dry mix for the posts) an ended up with like 4-5 yards unused in the driveway.

so, had one side of the yard I had planned on building up and laying down some fabric and covering it with limestone or washed rock anyways - so I might as well lay down this extra material I thought. Why not.

So I started hauling wheel barrows full of it to build up that side, used it all up, made a nice slope and watered it down and tamped it with a plate tamper. It was hard as well packed driveway. It was also smooth so I didn't need as much stone on top.

So I laid down the good thick landscape fabric down, lapped it over, and added a 1"-2" layer of washed stone.

Not one weed in 10 years (except at the edges where the fabric stopped at the neighbors yard where the landscape tie ended).

It turned out great.

I just did the side yard at my current home, and bought a couple yards of crush and did it the same way, packed it down, etc... and I'm on 8 years here without an issue as well. There are a few blow in weeds on the lawn side, but these are easily sprayed or pulled by stepping on the fabric and yanking them up - but largely - 99% weed free.

I am thinking the crush won't hold enough water and may be to hard to let weeds live there. It was worth the $100 in extra crush material in my opinion and anywhere else (if it doesn't get concrete) is going to be done this way. Works near perfect.

[32-40win]

Just contemplating cementing the joints in the walkway slabs to the house, dirt blows in, plants grow in there, especially grass, sure gets pesky in winter when clearing snow and causing iceups on warm days.

[The Cook]

The Boss landscaper in our house puts down cardboard and then cloth. Works well with no weeds.

[The Cook]

Originally Posted by 32-40win

Just contemplating cementing the joints in the walkway slabs to the house, dirt blows in, plants grow in there, especially grass, sure gets pesky in winter when clearing snow and causing iceups on warm days.

Check out the rundle rock quarry at Deadman's Flats, they have fines that pack like concrete and I could not get $10.00 worth on my half ton, thinking of getting a tandem load for all the crappy gravel the town spread around my property.