Landscaping Material & No Weeds

Landscape Material Versus Black Plastic

• Landscaping material differs from black plastic. This fabric is either perforated or woven, which allows air and water flow, according to Julie Day on the home improvement website Danny Lipford.com. On the other hand, black plastic smothers anything growing underneath the soil, which includes landscape plants' root systems. Both prevent weed seed germination; however, landscaping material doesn't harm surrounding plants. For large areas of weed growth away from other types of vegetation, black plastic quickly smothers seeds and weeds, especially if installed during the heat of summer.

Installing Landscape Material

• Rake up all debris and weeds before installing the landscape material over the flowerbed, Day suggests. Lay down your landscaping material next to your garden bed area. Cut the landscaping material to fit the area. For areas that have existing plants, create "X"-shaped cuts into the landscaping material for pulling over your plants. Secure landscaping pins around the perimeter of your fabric to ensure that it does not slip.

Mulching

• Landscaping material will decompose over time if sunlight is allowed to penetrate the fabric. To prevent degrading landscaping material from occurring, gardeners spread a layer of mulch over the fabric. Mulch also helps generate enough heat to kill weeds and creates a uniform look for the landscape. The type of mulch you spread depends on how often you want to replace the mulch or if you want to contribute nutrients to the soil. Organic mulch, like pine needles, hay and compost, adds nutrients back yet needs to be replaced every year. Synthetic mulch like rocks, crushed brick, sea glass and gravel, takes longer to wash away from the landscape fabric.

Other Considerations

• Apply a 2- to 3-inch layer of mulch over the top of your landscaping material. Keep the mulch 2 to 3 inches away from the base of your ornamental plants. Mulch kept at the base of ornamental plants may harbor fungal diseases and insects. Monitor your mulch and landscape fabric for tears or degradation. Store some landscape fabric to use when patching up holes. To patch up a hole, cut out a piece of landscape fabric larger than the hole and sew into the fabric.