Never Weed Again! Our Landscape Fabric Explained

The number one thing I have been asked this year is "what is that black stuff." So here are all the landscape fabric questions answered! Never weed again with this great garden tool.
Amazon Links to Landscape Fabric (we get a small commision from these links)
amzn.to/31EjDm0
This is for 4 foot wide fabric, we went for 5 feet to have overlap, but the price was good on this. They have 3 foot for a lot cheaper, but I think that would be too small for properly covering a garden bed.
Also
Landscape staples to pin it to the ground
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Tiger Torch to burn holes in the fabric
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My Canadian source for specialized market garden tools and the landscape fabric
www.duboisag.com/ca_en/
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Ian and Serina of YOU CANT EAT THE GRASS feel that every small change can make a big difference to the world we live in. Every garden planted leads to a better future. We hope to inspire and motivate others to make positive changes in their lives by sharing our journey towards greater sustainability as we build our family farm. It's hard work to build a life worth living, and completely worth it!
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[@Raynestorm1968]

I have tried to learn all I can about the pros and cons of weed barrier fabric. I have read hundreds of articles, and watched probably dozens of videos. Some of the things I have learned are: #1 Most important! Get GOOD QUALITY weed barrier. The cheap felt crap you get from Walmart will not work. You need good quality "woven fabric" weed barrier. #2 NEVER double the fabric layers! #3 Try to burn holes that the size and spacing will work for numerous different kinds of plants/crops so you can do crop rotation if you want/need to without having to replace the weed barrier every year. #4 Remove the weed barrier fabric at least every second or third year and till/fertilize/compost your garden like you normally would before putting the fabric back down. #5 Do NOT put your watering system UNDER the weed fabric. There's too many things that can go wrong with a watering system and trying to track it down and repair it when your garden is in full growth will be impossible. #6 If your garden is in a very hot sunny spot that gets very little shade throughout the day, you may want to use some garden netting or other method to provide shade while your plants are young and fragile. #7 NEVER put/allow any kind of dirt, gravel, mulch, to accumulate or be put ON TOP of the weed barrier fabric. While putting mulch or gravel on top may look nicer, that is only giving weeds a medium to grow on top of your fabric. #8 Cover unused holes or incidental holes or weeds WILL find those holes and take over. #9 ALWAYS make sure your weed barrier fabric strips are overlapped by about 6 inches and secured well. If you are using landscape staples and have just tilled your garden plot, you will want to wait a few days after a rain to lay your fabric and give the staples something more solid to hold onto. And always use enough staples that there are no sections of your fabric that is not secured. Wind will get under it and rip it up, or weeds will find those spaces and grow sideways and out. Hope some of this helps for first time users of the weed barrier fabric. As nice as it would be, it is not a system that requires NO work. You still have to pay attention and micro manage your garden. There's just a lot less weed pulling to take up all your time. Happy gardening.

[@jeanettejames4792]

I have a small 12x24 garden I put this on this year. I am totally loving it. Much of it I planted seed directly into the ground in my spacing holes. 3 rows of spinach, green beans, .. love it. I can mix stuff up even in that small space for rotation planting. First fun easy care garden in 50 years!

[@hyeonsukjang764]

I think I like your video.Gardening stories, voices, etc. I'm always grateful.

[@john1boggity56]

Fantastic - thanks for sharing !!! I have not seen this topic explained so well.

[@photodumper]

I was told to water early in the morning. If you water in the afternoon in colder climates, the water will sit all night and cause mold and other problems.

[@ClearWater7.62]

Thanks for sharing. I never imagined to have pests laying eggs under the fabric. But i think amending the soil with diatomaceous earth before adding the fabric may help.

[@carmenfisher9392]

You have done an absolutely wonderful video and service to us home gardeners. Thank you!!! We no till and currently use wood chips which makes it easy to reduce weeds and to pull the weeds that do appear. They seem to get nasty though, toward the end of the season. Your video is excellent!!! Thanks for taking the time to educate us.

[@Ms.Byrd68]

If you're using, say, Raised Beds and you burn the holes in accordance with _stated veggie spacing_ you can take your STANDARD plastic 'templates' up at the end of the season and reuse them in whatever bed you want to plant in with whatever other veggie that also requires that particular spacing. Also, you can REMOVE the plastic from -_in ground beds as well._ For those 'Homesteaders' that do have oversized lots or a couple to a few ACRES of usable land.

[@PoliteChihuahua]

started to use landscape fabric this year, game changer.

[@suddenlyfarming4176]

Beautiful garden! For sure lots of hardworks..but it is paid off when we see the result.

[@jenniferprewitt6772]

The cat during the flower garden scene 👀😍

[@Vinnie-cv5qv]

I have a very large garden and use the landscape fabric in rows and leave an opening between two rows. I plant the heavy vine crops like all the melons. This will allow them to spread over the tarp and not the soil. It has worked really well for me. I also place the fabric in my paths. This eliminates the weeds. Where I have the fabric for planting crops, I lift the fabric and amend the soil once a year with compost and leaf mold. It keeps the soil fertile.

[@YouCantEatTheGrass]

Good tricks! Thanks for sharing

[@patriciarusso1148]

I have been thinking about how to design the front garden and of course need to consider whether to purchase landscape fabric or pine bark mulch or perhaps both. Newer landscape fabric has smaller holes so does not block air or water from circulating to shrubs,flowers, or groundcovers. Your tutorial was very interesting especially seeing your torch and learning that if you want holes enlarged the fabric has to be burned. Your garden is thriving very well & thanks for the video.

[@pewee2496]

Thank you for the great info!

[@marlenebennett6148]

We just put landscape fabric down on my whole garden area. We used a template to burn 5 " holes for the dahlias I raise. We used a small hand held propane torch to make the holes. Simple. We use a drip system for watering. It is on top of the landscape fabric. Each line has an on and off switch so you can regulate watering. The water system is on a timer. We have been warned not to put this under the landscape fabric as there could be a leak in the hose and that would be difficult to deal with. I'm glad to hear all the pros and cons. If the flowers are planted farther apart perhaps that would help the air flow. I do cut off all the leaves in my zucchinis that cross over to keep from getting mold started. It doesn't hurt the plant. My neighbor leaves a two inch space between one piece of fabric and uses that space for beets or carrots.... other root plants. I'll see how things go. Thanks for the great tutorial!

[@Raynestorm1968]

Thank you Marlene! I was wondering about how to do carrots without leaving a whole area open like in this video. I only wish I was dealing with grass......my Nemesis is thistles! And they are VERY fast growing, they can grow back from the cuttings when you hoe, and they are relentless. So leaving a big patch open defeats my purpose of using the weed barrier fabric. Great idea leaving just a small space. Thanks again!

[@MariaPetrovaNYC]

Thank you, very helpful, esp around fungal issues. I'll stick with mulch for my small plot 🙏

[@CreateAgain]

Thanks. This was really helpful!

[@sandramcintosh592]

Super helpful. Thanks!

[@ardeet.3484]

thank you so much! you give me so much information. excellent video!!

[@ahavarichardson5426]

Happy your comments are back! Yeah

[@travistrammell3424]

Thanks for the info.

[@floridahomeandoutdoors4501]

Thanks!

[@glenorie8530]

Watching from Trinidad and Tobago.

[@SapioiT]

You can have the landscaping fabric for rows, if you use something to keep the fabric tight around the plant stems, or if you use weights to keep the fabric close to the ground. More cost, but doable. And in the case of using clotheshanger clips, you need for the plants to grow somewhat, before adding the fabric. I saw many people have different widths of fabric, for plants with different spacing, using rocks to keep them in place. Also, you can look into perforated plastic, which is not woven, but still has tiny holes for water to get through it and into the soil. As for the bugs and fungi, you can probably use rocks or something else to prop up the holes a but off the ground, to allow airflow and so beneficial insects can work their magic.

[@Eli-qr9hc]

I am planting a flower bed with trees and shrubs over my Bermuda grass, but it’s difficult to find landscape fabric that keeps the weeds out, but also allows water to penetrate through it to the ground for my plants

[@kevinoakes1287]

Soo nice...

[@millysanchez7137]

Hi from Florida 😀

[@TheFourthWinchester]

Great video elaborating on the cons and pros of the fabric. Weeding is a headache even for a few plants for me. Also, you're not getting any sunshine under the fabric which encourages more fungus. PS: Glad the comment section is active now. Congrats.

[@sandponics]

In my location it is known as weed mat because it is ideal for growing weeds in.

[@jonbilyou1048]

another great place to get fabric would be Vevor they are a great place....

[@IncredibleGreens242]

good stuff

[@jeremyrocks9025]

The link for the weed barrier does not work. Can you provide a new link for the weed barrier? Thanks

[@PHOTOCONVENTION]

3:07 I'd love to know how to build out a watering post like this. Do you need any pumps for it or is it just a sprinkler sitting on a post?

[@mist4926]

We put down first time. Looks like gets too hot loosing two tomatoe plants turning brown. I will try putting white sheet over

[@ByDesign333]

Our wire grass penetrates the weave pretty bad...wire grass is horrible! Tried tarps but got crazy with moles under it....next going to try wood chips. Great video !!!

[@Vinnie-cv5qv]

Place heavy duty cardboard boxes and that should kill any weeds you have. I killed all the crabgrass by placing the cardboard boxes and then placing the tarp on top of them. This is an added layer and keeps the boxes from blowing away. In a short time, all you will see is soil underneath and worms which is what you want.

[@danno5805]

Voles hide under it. Gotta get an extra cat lol

[@simardeepkaursandhu9974]

Use waste decomposer in water system to control fungal and other problems ..it works like wonder.

[@ashleigh3173]

I have considered trying this but haven’t really spent time researching it. My biggest concern is chemicals leaching from the plastic, the catalysts that are used in the process to make it. I garden for healthy food and it’s my “exercise program” so I guess i’m sticking to the old fashioned way. Ugh

[@YouCantEatTheGrass]

A few good cultivators can definitely keep the weeds under control in a home garden. This is helpful for the larger scale, but I never used it when we just grew for us.

[@leilanirinas684]

What brand of fabric are you using?

[@sandralee4087]

You have comments now!

[@peterbeyer5755]

I’ve seen other farmers use tarps to control weeds outside the planting area.

[@YouCantEatTheGrass]

Tarps are good for covering and cooking large areas. But they won't let the water through in the same way as the landscape fabric, and they might start to break down quicker

[@seedsoflovegardeningandcra3426]

The link for the landscape fabric just goes to Amazon main page not the item itself. The torch link and landscape staple links both work

[@YouCantEatTheGrass]

Last time I checked I couldn't find a link to share, maybe due to covid stuff. You want the professional grade stuff, sunbelt is a good brand name if looking on Amazon.

[@seedsoflovegardeningandcra3426]

@@YouCantEatTheGrass thank you my dear! Have a blessed day and rest of your week 😁🌹🌺🐞🦋🌺🌹

[@dinobernardi170]

Hi guys question about how do you keep the ground fertile under the fabric especially using the same hole year after year or so you pull it up till and so on?

[@carmenfisher9392]

I think you have to pull one side of the fabric up and fertilize or add compost etc. then lay it back down unless you are going to fertilize via a watering system.

[@ahavarichardson5426]

@@carmenfisher9392 that's exactly what they do! I believe I've seen it

[@NorKavon]

Different plants use different spacing and so because of crop rotation, you pull up the fabric after harvesting and use it in the next location. The bed then gets a different fabric. Even if it happens to be the same spacing the holes are in different locations. At the end of the season I use a fabric with no holes or a silage tarp to cover the bed. The times the fabric is removed allow for top dressing with compost or other amendments.

[@troyb.4101]

Card board is cheap and works better in high heat areas.

[@michaelanugraham8832]

How do u burn the hole

[@cbowick1000]

Are you in Canada? We are in Northern Alberta

[@poochyface1]

What have you used to make the holes that would burn the sides once cut ?

[@poochyface1]

I got my answer at the end. Thank you

[@davidshuff8838]

What are your measurements?

[@aromero9243]

Your link for the fabric doesn't work

[@edwardwiltz1450]

you don't have air circulation prune. use neem oil every10days

[@kathrynmettelka7216]

How is the landscape fabric holding up after 2 years? Are you still satisfied with it? Is there any possibility you could convert to Charles Dowding's no-dig method? Excuse me if you already answered any of my questions. I just started looking at your channel and am catching up on older videos mostly out of order.

[@YouCantEatTheGrass]

The landscape fabric is still looking great, still has lots of life left in it. We use compost in a similar way to dowding - as a mulch to hold in moisture, ect. But we are fighting some nasty weeds still with tilling. We could definitely transition to a lower tillage system in the future though

[@jessicarentchler798]

The link to the fabric no longer works. Do you know the brand name you used?

[@YouCantEatTheGrass]

Sunbelt is a brand I know

[@coloradodirtbike5930]

Dewitt sunbelt 3.2 oz

[@ATappin]

After 1 season could you take it off and have the grass be dead?

[@ATappin]

For context, I have pasture with reed canarygrass (invasive).

[@esequielabreu7380]

How to put down fertilizer

[@YouCantEatTheGrass]

We lift the fabric to do a pre season bed prep. If you want to fertilize during the season then I'd look into fertigation or foliar feeding

[@jellojoe00]

Show the same field now.

[@troyb.4101]

Don't use that black stuff in high heat areas. It will cook plants in the summer. Manufacturer says it will last one year if not covered. It depends on your location.

[@jeanettejames4792]

I think your rows are too close together for sunlight, air, etc between your flower plants and so on. that's probably contributing to your disease, and so on.

[@maddoxinc1642]

5:43... Predator in the background. You're not safe.

[@YouCantEatTheGrass]

Lol, a crazy Bo catching bugs

[@mr_mnky]

Can the fabric be reused? Or does it only last one season? Do you end up destroying it / tearing it up after harvest & uprooting everything?

[@carmenfisher9392]

The woven stuff she uses is good for a number of years. The less expensive fabric also lasts for a while if undisturbed but isn't as substantial as the woven.

[@dericathompson1511]

1:10

[@dorismccollester9522]

Love your video . hate the loud music .

[@mikehendrix6558]

It was not designed for large areas like you're using it for

[@sislertx]

U dont have bermuda do you .

[@YouCantEatTheGrass]

We have something similar, and the fabric with holes doesn't get rid of the grass. You need to reduce the grass pressure first - we used heavy tilling to get our grass under control, but it takes about 3 years. My neighbour thinks I'm crazy and always tells me to just use a grass specific herbicide, and if I had to start over again from scratch, I might be tempted - the grass is very difficult

[@mikehendrix6558]

All you have to do is spray for Pest. It will go the the.fabric. problem solved. I think you're expecting to much from the fabric. Next you'll be wanting it to pick your vegetables. Lol

[@robingriffin8511]

I want the "weeds" they are invasive plants But they can be turned into clothes and also herbal treatments for my body plus nutrients to animals.

[@DLWhiteMusic]

Hot! Hot! Hot! How to cook your plants. Put a black plastic around them. I did it. Never again.

[@JustMe-999a]

The soil actually stays cooler. I'm in the south, too. Best thing ever

[@edwardwiltz1450]

you are overwatering

[@tankdarla637]

do not use that in your home gardens and beds, that stuff is horrible, weeds grow right on top of it and the roots adhere to it, for nursery use like this and no mulch on top it helps if you do it just right like this lady did, i despise that stuff for ordinary homeowner applications, i am a professional horticulturist with decades of experience