The Ultimate Guide to Choosing Landscape Fabric

Landscape fabric is primarily used to control weeds, but this versatile product can be used for various gardening needs. It can be used to improve the look of your outdoor space, make gardening tasks easier on the back, minimize erosion, and, when used with mulch, improve the quality of the soil.

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But the thing with landscape fabric weed barrier is the quality varies from brand to brand. How to make sure you’re getting the most bang for your buck? In this guide, we’re helping you choose the best landscape fabric for your eco-friendly gardening needs:

Factors to Consider When Choosing Landscape Fabric for Your Garden

Choosing the right landscape fabric for the job is important because the wrong product won’t give you the results you expect. Here’s a guide to help you choose the best one for your needs.

What to Look for in a Landscape Fabric

UV Resistance: Select landscape fabric with UV resistance to prolong its lifespan. UV-resistant fabrics are less prone to degradation from sunlight exposure, extending their life. UV protection reduces the need for frequent replacements, promoting sustainability.

Permeability: Ensure that the landscape fabric allows water, air, and nutrients to penetrate the soil. Adequate permeability is essential for maintaining soil health and supporting plant growth. Look for fabrics with perforations or porous designs that facilitate proper drainage and aeration.

Weave type: Consider the weave type of the fabric. Woven landscape fabric, made from interlocking fibers, is durable and provides excellent weed suppression. Non-woven fabric, created by bonding fibers together, offers good water and air permeability, promoting healthy soil conditions.

Durability: Check the expected lifespan and durability of the landscape fabric. Investing in a high-quality, long-lasting fabric reduces the need for frequent replacements, saving both time and money in the long run.

Consider factors such as tear resistance, UV stability, and overall construction quality. Pay attention to the thickness and weight of the fabric. Thicker fabrics are more durable and offer better weed control. But, they may be less permeable to water and nutrients. Choose a balance between thickness and permeability based on your gardening needs.

Some brands offer “non-fray” landscape fabric. These won’t have frayed edges, so they look better once installed. Since the edges are non-frayed, they’re more durable.

Materials: Opt for landscape fabric made from eco-friendly materials. Look for options like recycled polypropylene or biodegradable materials such as natural jute or hemp. These materials minimize environmental impact while still providing effective weed control.

Mulch compatibility: Many growers use mulch with landscape fabric to improve the look of the garden. Mulching helps conserve moisture, suppress weeds, and improve soil health. If you are planning to do this, choose a product that’s compatible with mulch. Ensure that the fabric is designed to work effectively with mulch layers without impeding their benefits.

Chemical-free: Opt for landscape fabric that is free from harmful chemicals or petroleum. Chemical-free fabrics are safer for the environment, minimizing soil contamination and potential harm to beneficial organisms. Look for certifications or labels indicating the absence of toxic substances.

If you’re still unsure what kind of landscape fabric to buy for your gardening needs, go online and pore over customer reviews and recommendations from gardening experts or fellow enthusiasts. Real-world experiences can provide valuable insights into the performance and suitability of different landscape fabric options for eco-friendly gardening.

Some cons:

Discourages re-seeding: Just like how landscape fabric works great to inhibit weed growth, it can also discourage desired plants from growing. For example, some flowering plants might not grow in places where landscape fabrics are installed so there will be fewer blooms come springtime.

Tricky to move plants around: If you like moving plants around, it will be trickier to do it if the areas in your garden are covered by landscape fabric. Disturbing the landscape fabric often might affect its effectiveness in preventing weeds.

Affects worm population: Earthworms and burrowing critters won’t be able to come up to the soil surface if the area is covered with landscape fabric. This can cause the soil to harden and lose nutrients at the same time. This can be solved by tilling the soil regularly and adding soil amendments.

What is the most durable material for landscape fabric?

When considering durability, one of the most reliable materials is polypropylene. Polypropylene is a type of plastic that is resistant to tearing and degradation from UV radiation.

The durability of polypropylene landscape fabric is a result of its unique molecular structure. Its long chains of molecules provide exceptional toughness and resilience, enabling it to withstand external pressures without deteriorating easily. This resilience is vital in outdoor environments where the fabric is exposed to changing weather conditions and everyday wear and tear.

Polypropylene is resistant to rot and decay, which is essential for long-term effectiveness in landscaping applications. Unlike some natural materials like cotton or jute, polypropylene won’t decompose over time, ensuring that the fabric maintains its integrity for an extended period.

It is also treated with UV inhibitors to prolong its lifespan. UV inhibitors shield the fabric from the damaging effects of sunlight to maintain its strength and integrity over time.

Woven or non-woven landscape fabric?

Landscape fabric typically comes in a woven, non-woven, and spun structure.

Woven fabric consists of interlocking fibers, creating a sturdy crisscrossing matrix to resist tearing and stretching. Woven landscape fabric is best used under patios, paths, and walkways. It is also used to control weeds around trees and shrubs. The product is durable enough to withstand heavy foot traffic.

Non-woven landscape fabric is made by thermally bonding polypropylene and then needle-punched to let water and moisture seep through the material. It is also used under mulch to prevent mulch materials from sinking into the soil. Professional-grade non-woven landscape fabrics are also used for large-scale hardscaping.

Do note, that non-woven landscape fabric is less durable than woven landscape fabric because it’s thinner and perforated. But, it’s still resilient enough to withstand everyday wear and tear for years to come. It’s perfect for most types of gardening needs because of the excellent drainage and filtration.

Spun landscape fabric is made from non-woven bonded polyester layers so it’s heavy duty and thick. It’s mainly used as a protective barrier against invasive grasses or plants. Because it’s thick and non-permeable spun landscape fabric is often installed in irrigation and drainage systems. It also discourages the spread of pests and insects in big gardens and farms.

Landscape fabric, when used correctly, can be an effective way to limit weed growth and keep your garden beds looking pristine. It stifles weeds, locks in moisture, and helps with stability.

The use of landscape fabric is not without controversy though. If you’re going to use it, you’ll want to do your research and be aware of the pros and cons of using landscape fabric.

If you are considering using landscape fabric, our guide will tell you what landscape fabric is, the advantages and drawbacks, when to use it, and types of landscape fabric.

What is Landscape Fabric?

Landscape fabric is material designed to act as a physical barrier between soil and sun. It typically consists of woven fibers or a non-woven material and comes in rolls. 

Sometimes referred to as weed block, weed fabric, or weed barrier, landscape fabric is best known as a way to limit weed growth by preventing soil-bound weed seed from getting any sunlight. This reduces your need for herbicidal weed control.

Advantages of landscape fabric

Landscape fabric has a long list of additional benefits besides keeping weeds out of garden beds. The sun-blocking abilities of landscape fabric help soil retain moisture by slowing evaporation. 

Landscape fabric also helps with stability and offers a measure of erosion control in areas that are prone to washout with heavy rains. It works great as a barrier beneath hardscaping and prevents inorganic mulch like rocks and pea gravel from sinking into the soil.

Disadvantages of landscape fabric

Those who are thinking about using landscape fabric should consider some of its drawbacks. 

Most importantly, landscape fabric doesn’t completely eliminate all weeds. Although it prevents weed seeds in the soil from growing, new weed seeds can still blow into the mulch above landscape fabric and sprout there. 

Also, as organic mulches, like wood chips, decompose over time they create a compost that’s suitable for weeds to take root. You’ll need to apply a pre-emergent herbicide to prevent this.

Landscaping fabric prevents the nutrients created by decomposing organic materials from reaching the soil below. It also deters the kind of garden-friendly earthworms that can help aerate the soil.

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If these disadvantages outweigh the advantages, there are alternatives to using landscape fabric (cardboard, newspaper, burlap, etc.)

If the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, there are quite a few different varieties of landscape fabric. You’ll want to choose the type that best suits your needs, and our guide will help you make your selection.

When to Use Landscape Fabric

Landscaping fabric is most typically used beneath mulched areas around trees, shrubs, or bushes. Landscape fabric is laid over soil and then mulch is layered on top of the fabric. 

Landscape fabric also works well beneath gravel, rock, or hardscaping. It also can be used beneath flower beds or ground cover to reduce weeds and the need for weed control. 

Note: Don’t use landscape fabric beneath vegetable gardens or flower beds consisting of annuals since it will make frequent replanting more difficult.

Types of Landscape Fabrics

When it comes to landscape fabrics, material matters. While it might seem like a good idea to go for a cheap, plastic weed barrier for any application, you’ll be better served picking the right fabric for your gardening or lawn project. 

Here’s a look at some of the types of landscape fabrics:

Woven

Woven landscaping fabric is the most commonly used type. It’s typically made from polypropylene or linen fibers that are woven together to create a durable, semi-permeable material.

Woven landscaping fabric’s small holes allow both water and nutrients to seep through to the earth, while still preventing weeds from growing up toward the sun.

This type is best used as a weed control fabric around trees and shrubs or in flower beds with plants that won’t be changed often. Woven fabrics are usually black, green, or a brown, natural burlap color.

Most options offer some innate ultraviolet (UV) resistance or have been treated to be UV stabilized so that they hold up under the sun.

Cost: Woven landscape fabrics come in rolls of varying sizes that range from $35 for a low-end 3 feet-by-100 feet roll to $280 for a roll that is 10 feet by 300 feet.

Non-Woven

Typically made from polyester or polypropylene, non-woven landscape fabrics are best suited for preventing weed growth in rock or gravel paths or beds.

Non-woven landscape fabrics are less permeable than woven options, so they will prevent water and nutrients from getting to the soil below.

These fabrics offer great stability and prevent stones from sinking into soil. Professional grade versions are often used beneath stone pavers or other large-scale hardscaping.

Cost: Rolls of non-woven landscape fabric range from $20 for a roll that’s 3 feet by 50 feet to $180 for a roll that’s 10 feet by 300 feet.

Spun

This particular version of non-woven fabric is made from layers of bonded polyester fibers that make it extremely durable. It’s the most heavy-duty type of landscaping fabric and is very difficult to rip or tear. The thickness of spun fabric varies widely and makes it viable for many different uses.

With thinner versions of spun fabric, the spun-bonded nature of the material leaves it permeable for water and air, while also being tough and durable. This makes it very versatile. Not only does it work well as a weed barrier in beds and beneath rocks, but it can also be used as a protective border to discourage pests, insects, and invasive grasses.

Thicker fabrics are so tough and impermeable that they can be used in irrigation, drainage, and retaining wall applications to ward off roots and prevent seepage.

Cost: A thin (1.5 ounce) roll of spun fabric will start around $20 for a roll that’s 3 feet by 100 feet, while thicker (3+ ounce) options of the same dimensions will go for $30 or more. A heavy-duty, 8-ounce industrial roll that’s 6 feet by 100 feet runs for as much as $300.

Perforated

Perforated landscape fabrics are usually cheap and lightweight, and designed with pre-cut perforations or holes where you’ll put your plants. 

Since perforated landscape fabrics won’t suffocate roots and are easily replaceable, they are commonly used in garden applications where plants are evenly placed and changed often.

For example, vegetable gardens are commonly lined with perforated landscape fabric.

Because they are so lightweight and manageable, perforated landscape fabrics shouldn’t be used in areas with heavy foot traffic, lots of animal activity, or sizable roots.

Cost: These can be purchased in sheets that are 4 feet by 8 feet for less than $10 or in large rolls for as much as $80 for a roll that’s 3 feet by 300 feet.

Now that you’ve selected your landscape fabric… 

Once you have purchased your landscape fabric and related stakes, staples and other needed materials, you are ready to learn how to install landscape fabric.

The Cliff Note’s version: Clear out your space, prep the soil, lay down your fabric, and secure it with landscape pins.

Note that once your landscape fabric is installed, you’ll have to repeat the process every two to four years.

FAQ About Landscape Fabric

What is the best landscape fabric?

The best landscape fabric is going to depend on what you’re using it for. As a weed barrier around trees, shrubs, and low-maintenance beds, woven landscaping fabrics work best. For stability and weed blocking under rock or gravel, non-woven landscape fabrics work best.

Should you use landscape fabric?

This is a highly debated topic in landscaping. While some people swear by landscaping fabric as a way to limit weed growth, there are others who feel the negatives of using landscape fabric outweigh the positives. 

Which is better landscape fabric or plastic?

There are some reasonable situations where landscape plastic might be a better option for you, however landscape fabric has more uses and is typically the better option.

Should landscape fabric go under gravel?

Yes. Putting landscape fabric under gravel isn’t a requirement, but it is recommended. When used under gravel, it provides all the positives of weed control and added stability, without any of the negatives.

Is filter fabric the same as landscape fabric?

No. Although filter fabric is similar and made from the same material as non-woven landscaping fabric, filter fabric is generally thinner and won’t be treated for UV protection.

When to Call a Landscaping Professional

Considering all of the variables that go into deciding whether or not to use landscaping fabric, it might be worth your time to consider leaving the installation to a pro. 

Call a landscaping professional near you if you need help making the most of your landscaping project.

Whether you end up using landscaping fabric or not, using a professional landscaper can be the difference between enjoying your ideal yard and suffering through a DIY nightmare.