The Home Improvement Thread

[CroFlames]

I think landscape fabric prevents weeds from growing up out of the ground.

However, because fabric is permeable, weeds can grow on top of the fabric and the little wispy roots can penetrate it.

I've seen this first hand in my own yard with professional landscaping and rock beds, not mulch. The tiny amount of dirt on the rocks, or dirt that blows in from the environment is just enough for a weed to grow and the rocks give it support. The weeds are weak though, and you can pull em or spray em, and the beds will look immaculate.

Like someone else said, a weed can grow in the expansion joints of a sidewalk or driveway. That's why they are weeds.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

I think landscape fabric prevents weeds from growing up out of the ground.

However, because fabric is permeable, weeds can grow on top of the fabric and the little wispy roots can penetrate it.

I've seen this first hand in my own yard with professional landscaping and rock beds, not mulch. The tiny amount of dirt on the rocks, or dirt that blows in from the environment is just enough for a weed to grow and the rocks give it support. The weeds are weak though, and you can pull em or spray em, and the beds will look immaculate.

Like someone else said, a weed can grow in the expansion joints of a sidewalk or driveway. That's why they are weeds.

That's right. You may get 0.5% of the weeds versus no fabric at all. Organics will build up slowly (or in super speed if you're a mulch-dope). Just give them a spritz of weed killer as needed, but the big thing is to take a blower to your beds when you do your fall clean up to get rid of the organics that settled on the top. Another reason why you want to use rocks versus mulch...mulch you'd just blow off if you did that. Rock will stay put as you blast away dust, pine needles, etc.

[Fuzz]

Where do you think these weeds are coming from, the depths of Khazad-Dûm? Like I said, if you dig deep enough, there are no weeds. About 8-12 inches. Once you put stuff on top, it smothers any potential growth. If you go shallow, like 4 inches, the weeds you didn't dig out will grow through your holy fabric. Far better to lay a bunch of cardboard down, wet it and burry it with mulch. It'll be just as effective and not leave a bunch of trash around. Give it a google, there are no shortage of articles and comments saying I'm right and you are an unsuccessful bunker builder.

[CroFlames]

First of all, no. I've definitely seen weed roots go 8+ inches deep.

Secondly, a weed liner fabric works dude lol.

[Fuzz]

From above, yes a tap root will grow down more than that. Seriously, go find some articles not written by manufacturers that say how well it works. You'd have more success finding the One Ring. You only think it works because you diug deep enough.

[TorqueDog]

On the subject of drainage, the pores in landscaping fabric will still clog over time and drainage will suffer when they do. The fabric will buy you time if you don't dig especially deep to get the long-ass taproots out, but weeds will eventually establish themselves on top of the fabric, so keep some glyphosate handy in a small sprayer bottle to do spot treatments.

God damn, am I glad I haven't had to deal with this crap since 2023.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

Where do you think these weeds are coming from, the depths of Khazad-Dûm? Like I said, if you dig deep enough, there are no weeds. About 8-12 inches. Once you put stuff on top, it smothers any potential growth. If you go shallow, like 4 inches, the weeds you didn't dig out will grow through your holy fabric. Far better to lay a bunch of cardboard down, wet it and burry it with mulch. It'll be just as effective and not leave a bunch of trash around. Give it a google, there are no shortage of articles and comments saying I'm right and you are an unsuccessful bunker builder.

Haha this is so Canmore.

At my condo half the board had this same moronic stance that landscape fabric doesn't work. Meanwhile there are a bazillion weeds in every bed in my complex.

So two years ago I stripped out my bed in front of my unit, pulled all the weeds, laid down landscape fabric and then put all the rocks back.

Guest who is weed free and guess what every other bed looks like?

So now we are applying weed spray on all the beds to look somewhat less trashy, but my bed needs nothing. It looks perfect.

Complex is convinced from my experiment, though. We're going to fix all the beds, but it did take me doing this for free using my truck, labour and expertise to convince them. Truly mind boggling.

I've landscaped half the properties in Calgary between 1991 and 2001. You've rolled around in clay. Honestly, leave this one with me. You're super wrong.

[topfiverecords]

Originally Posted by Sliver

Haha this is so Canmore.

At my condo half the board had this same moronic stance that landscape fabric doesn't work. Meanwhile there are a bazillion weeds in every bed in my complex.

So two years ago I stripped out my bed in front of my unit, pulled all the weeds, laid down landscape fabric and then put all the rocks back.

Guest who is weed free and guess what every other bed looks like?

So now we are applying weed spray on all the beds to look somewhat less trashy, but my bed needs nothing. It looks perfect.

Complex is convinced from my experiment, though. We're going to fix all the beds, but it did take me doing this for free using my truck, labour and expertise to convince them. Truly mind boggling.

I've landscaped half the properties in Calgary between 1991 and 2001. You've rolled around in clay. Honestly, leave this one with me. You're super wrong.

Two years isn’t the dataset you need to be so certain your landscape fabric is the reason you don’t have the weed level of your neighbours. The reason for the difference is because your bed is newer and I would be 100% certain you’ve been regularly tending to it now also.

Let’s revisit this in a few years after all properties other than yours have landscape fabric AND weeds.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by topfiverecords

Two years isn’t the dataset you need to be so certain your landscape fabric is the reason you don’t have the weed level of your neighbours. The reason for the difference is because your bed is newer and I would be 100% certain you’ve been regularly tending to it now also.

Let’s revisit this in a few years after all properties other than yours have landscape fabric AND weeds.

Then you remove the rocks and put new fabric down if it becomes ineffective. I've been landscaping for 30 years.

Honestly, you have to be the dumbest guy on the planet to think weed barrier doesn't act as a barrier to weeds.

[topfiverecords]

Originally Posted by Sliver

Then you remove the rocks and put new fabric down if it becomes ineffective. I've been landscaping for 30 years.

Honestly, you have to be the dumbest guy on the planet to think weed barrier doesn't act as a barrier to weeds.

You sure love a good stretch.

[Fuzz]

I've done zero landscaping in Canmore, just 17 years in Calgary experimenting and realizing what works.


Sure not seeing many articles extolling the weed protection virtues of landscape fabric, but I get the Internet is a tricky thing, so I'll give y'all some more time to find out how wrong you are.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by Sliver

Then you remove the rocks and put new fabric down if it becomes ineffective. I've been landscaping for 30 years.

Honestly, you have to be the dumbest guy on the planet to think weed barrier doesn't act as a barrier to weeds.

I never pegged you as a guy to fall for a marketing name. You've been marketed.

[Sliver]

If you don't put fabric down weeds grow through your rock or mulch. If you put fabric down it doesn't. This isn't rocket science.

[Monahammer]

I will go home and take pictures for you Sliver, but I assure you that weeds can and will grow through on occasion. Yes, most are just on top with some roots that grow down through, but I have one spot in particular that will constantly push through.

I still use the fabric though, because it does prevent 90% of the weeds I'd say.

For me, I regularly do weed my own gardens. I am an anti chemical treatment guy (ironic considering my work but meh.) As such, I removed all of my decorative rock. It was absolutely horrific to try and weed the rock bedding. The mulch bedding is extremely easy to weed with the fabric under it, as the weeds are mostly just surface ####ers who can be pulled out with minimal effort. Takes about 5 minutes to do my front beds (vs an hour when it was rocks.)

I imagine if I added a chemical to the mix, rocks and weed fabric would be an optimal mix.

[Fuzz]

Facts not anecdotes.

[CroFlames]

This is almost as bad as the electricians having a pissing match.

[DoubleF]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

This is almost as bad as the electricians having a pissing match.

People pissing on and ####ing with electrified fences is kinda funny though.

"Pikachu is in there!"

[topfiverecords]

Originally Posted by Sliver

If you don't put fabric down weeds grow through your rock or mulch. If you put fabric down it doesn't. This isn't rocket science.

It isn't rock science either.

[topfiverecords]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

This is almost as bad as the electricians having a pissing match.

I was waiting for the "Do You Even Garden Bro?!"

Left satisfied.