The benefits of a weed fabric
Weed fabric is very important in modern day farming practice. It reduces the cost weeding the garden and makes harvesting easier. The soil on which plants grow contains a huge amount of weed seeds. These seeds grow and compete with the plant for available space, water, air, and nutrient. Too much weed in the garden can hamper the growth of your plant. Weeds can also compete with the plant for adequate sunlight and space.
Plants need all the nutrients they can get to grow and with the presence of weeds, they may not do well. Some weeds can grow taller than your plants and make harvesting more difficult. Some weeds also harbor pests that could destroy your plants.
Weed fabric is great for permanent landscapes. It is environmentally safe and helps to prevent weeds from growing. Weed fabric also called Weed barrier fabric is one of the best options to control weeds in the garden without spending too much. Even on a commercial level, it is still one of the best ways to keep the garden weed-free. Weed barrier cloth (weed fabric) is very easy to install. It stops weeds and allows water, air, as well as nutrients, to pass through. The soil is also conserved and soil erosion is prevented when weed barrier fabric is used. Landscape fabric also includes a barrier which helps to separate mulches from the soil.
How to install weed fabric
Before you start this operation, the first thing to do is to get all materials ready. To install a landscape fabric on your garden, the following items are needed:
Landscape fabric
Mulch
Garden rake
Anchor pins or landscape staples
Razor blade cutter or scissors
However, you can also get a shovel, or trowel as well as any soil amendments you want when installing new plants.
1. First, you have to prepare the ground for your landscape fabric. At this point, make the area very smooth without the presence of weeds. All sharp stones and twigs or anything that can puncture the weed fabric should be cleared off. You can use a rake on the area to make the surface even and smooth.
2. Prepare the fabric by cutting it to the right size. Unroll it lengthwise across the area you wish to install it and cut to length. You should also trim the edges of the fabric to follow the curves of the beds. The idea is to hide the fabric completely under the mulch so make sure you trim all edges very well and do not allow it to stick out.
3. Cut your fabric to fit the plants properly if you already have existing plants in the area. You can slit the fabric to give room for the main stem to pass through. Once the fabric is in the right place, you can enlarge the hole if you like. This will help the trunk or stem of your plant.
4. Once you have succeeded in placing the fabric, the next step is to secure it with your landscape staples and make sure that the edges are also well secured. If you already slit the fabric for plants already in your garden, overlap and staple the cut edge firmly. On the other hand, you can make sure the slit is covered with a scrap of fabric. The reason is because cuts in the weed fabric will give room for grass and weeds to grow, so make sure you cover them properly.
5. If your intention is to plant new plants, make sure you install the fabric first before you do so. Once the fabric is installed, make an “X” cut in it to create space for planting. Make sure the fabric stays on the soil and dig a hole and do the planting as you normally would. The fabric should also be tucked around the new plant’s stem.
6. After placing your fabric, apply some much over it.