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The two main categories of landscape fabrics are woven and non-woven materials.
The Spruce
Both types of fabric effectively prevent weed growth.
These materials generally tolerate foot traffic well and resist tearing.
Non-woven fabrics create a more plush surface that is especially good around plants where permeability and breathability are important.
PHOTO: Amazon
Weinstalled the landscape fabricand left a nearby garden area uncovered for comparison.
Versatile, lightweight, and effective, this sturdy fabric was tested on a weed-covered side yard.
Installing this fabric is very simple.
Before using the Ecorgardener Weed Barrier we had plenty of weeds, but zero grew back after use.PHOTO: The Spruce
What Our Tester Said
I love how versatile this fabric is.
We tested in a vegetable garden withmultiple tomato plants.
We purchased stakes separately to pin down the fabric.
We did not lay mulch atop the fabric but didnt observe any fraying or damage to the material.
I really loved the construction, the ease of install, and the durability.
I don’t think I would really change anything about this fabric and would repurchase it again.
(Note that there are no green lines for easy marking of crop rows or for cut lines.)
This is a non-woven polypropylene fabric thats been treated for UV resistance and for improved water permeability.
It is UV-resistant, though.
We laid the fabric over apreviously weedy garden areabefore planting a vegetable bed in the spring.
The fabric is also marked with lines that helped with spacing our plants.
This 3-ounce woven fabric needs to be anchored to the ground with landscape stakes, which are not included.
However,our hostasand other plants remained very healthy during our tests and beyond, growing vigorously.
One layer of this fabric is a woven needle-punched polyester, while the other is polypropylene.
Over six months of testing, the fabric was impressively durable.
While we tested the 3 x 100-foot roll, it is also available in other sizes.
We used it to underliebrick edging, which always sprouted weeds between the bricks.
The fabric was easy to cut to size, although we did note some fraying along the edges.
The fabric blocks 98 percent of sunlight from reaching the soil surface, effectively stopping weeds from sprouting.
The green lines along the fabric made it easier to keep our cuts straight.
Once in place, we covered the fabric with pine straw.
However, we didnt observe any damage or signs of ill health in the plants growing through the fabric.
This dual-layer fabric does a great job of preventing weed growth while allowing desirable plants to thrive.
Ease of Use:Once we received the landscape fabrics, we installed them according to the manufacturers instructions.
PHOTO: Amazon
We also checked for weeds growing up through the fabric or along its edges.
After all, your desirable plants wont survive for long if they cant get any water to their roots.
The breathability of the landscape fabric is also important when using the material in garden beds.
We laid down the Flarmor Landscape Fabric Weed Barrier in our tomato garden and our plants thrived.PHOTO: The Spruce
Ideally, the fabric should allow air exchange through the material for healthy plant growth.
One thats exceptionally strong in this capability is theAmagabeli Weed Barrier Landscape Fabric, our best for aeration pick.
Easy Installation and Maintenance
Youll find a wide range of landscape fabric sizes.
TheVevor Woven Weed Barrier, our best heavy-duty pick, has both of those desirable features.
These fabrics often hold up better in harsh sunlight or heavy rain.
They tend to be better for short-term use.
With either bang out of fabric, he recommends looking for a UV-resistant treatment.
We especially like theDewitt 12-Year Landscape Fabric, our best long-lasting pick.
This extends their effectiveness, but plastic is not the most eco-friendly material overall.
By keeping weeds at bay naturally, they help maintain a healthier garden ecosystem.
PHOTO: The Spruce / Mia Ingui
Although the Dewitt Non Woven 12-Year Landscape Fabric feels thick and sturdy, is was easy to cut.PHOTO: The Spruce
PHOTO: Amazon
The Agfabric Landscape Fabric Weed Barrier has green lines to help with planting in rows.PHOTO: The Spruce
PHOTO: Amazon
We installed the Amagabeli Weed Barrier Landscape Fabric to prevent weeds around our hostas.PHOTO: The Spruce
PHOTO: Amazon
We tested this fabric under brick edging to prevent weeds from growing through the cracks.PHOTO: The Spruce
PHOTO: Amazon
The fabric has green lines to help cut or plants in straight lines.PHOTO: The Spruce
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