Inexpensive Landscape Fabric
Hardiness Zone: 10b
Faye from NC
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RE: Inexpensive Landscape Fabric
You can use newspaper, but it breaks down after a few years if thick enough. You can use plastic garbage bags or plastic sheeting sold at Home Depot/Lowe's.
Post by lynnsmskitty
RE: Inexpensive Landscape Fabric
My grandpa always asked the local carpet place for remnants or stuff they took out of peoples house and were going to throw away. It does stink and get really heavy after it gets wet. You might could use an old shower curtain or some of the bag from the cleaners they hang over clothes (they might give you some for free if you ask). Also use the brown paper packaging from some shipping boxes or that white plastic coating they wrap around new stuff (ask your local Walmart).
Post By CH55662 (Guest Post)
RE: Inexpensive Landscape Fabric
If you have some old used carpet you could cut it the size you need and put it down. I've done that for keeping weeds from growing and as a mulch.
Post By suzin (Guest Post)
RE: Inexpensive Landscape Fabric
I've used both newspaper and cardboard in place of landscape fabric. Both do the job well. And each will break down and enrich your soil. If you waste your money on landscape fabric, you don't have the advantage of adding nutrients to the soil so for that reason I don't like it. Cardboard takes longer to break down into soil but you can only use it on level areas. For slopes or slightly unlevel areas newspapers work best. Don't forget to use several sheets of newspaper and overlap your sheets well. Weeds grow up through the cracks if you don't do that. You will be quite pleased with your results!
Post By Carol in PA (Guest Post)
RE: Inexpensive Landscape Fabric
Try using newspapers. Just unfold the newspapers and lay them under your compost or mulch and it will keep the weeds down and lets the water filter through. It is very cheap and it is biodegradable. Good luck!
Post By Helen (Guest Post)
RE: Inexpensive Landscape Fabric
I agree with the newspaper gardening. Just don't use the slick colored parts of the newspaper. Have you ever heard of lasagna gardening? It is many layers of material that you put down in the fall and by spring, you are ready to plant. Google lasagna gardening and I am sure you will come up with the explanation. I have used the newspaper and the cardboard. Cardboard is a little easier to work with and eventually breaks down but not as soon as newspaper. Make sure you put a good layer of mulch over the top of the newspaper and yes, watering it down helps immensely to stay in place.
Post By Enter your name. (Guest Post)
RE: Inexpensive Landscape Fabric
Newspaper, newspaper, newspaper. Cheap and Free. Good for the environment and great for weed control!
Post By Shery (Guest Post)
RE: Inexpensive Landscape Fabric
Burlap has been around for ages, has been inexpensive and will work quite nicely for your needs. :-)
Post by anbsmommy
RE: Inexpensive Landscape Fabric
I used cardboard from boxes, break them down and use garden staples to secure them. I haven't had a problem other than the stuff that drops on top of the mulch. That would be happening even if you used the material.
Post By crystal (Guest Post)
RE: Inexpensive Landscape Fabric
I agree with the post to use newspaper; at the newspaper that I work at we give our old papers away for free (most people use them for their new puppies). I used a clear plastic (paint) drop cloth once and had covered it with mulch but weeds actually grew under the plastic. I think that because they still got light from the sun, they still grew. I always wondered if used bedsheets that you could get from a resale shop might work as landscape fabric, though they would decompose eventually, they would keep the weeds down and still let water and nutrients through. If you do find something that works for you, please make sure to share with the rest of us!
Post by Persnickety Paula
RE: Inexpensive Landscape Fabric
8 layers of newspaper covered by mulch will work just fine. If you need to wet the newspaper to hold it in place that will be OK. It will supress weeds and eventually decompose. Best of all it's free.
Post by G R I T S
RE: Inexpensive Landscape Fabric
Would it be possible to put down sheets of recycled plastic, as from dry cleaner bags or a plastic drop cloth cut to fit and then cover with pebbles/stones/or bark? They do use some sort of plastic to keep the weeds down - altho it's black...
Post by pamphyila
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