That $200 weed barrier I laid down 3 months ago is already worthless

I spent a Saturday afternoon putting down heavy fabric and staples around my flower beds in Rio Rancho, thinking I was done with weeds for the season. Cost me about $200 for the roll and enough staples to cover a small yard. Fast forward to this week and the weeds are just punching right through the fabric like it wasn't even there. The gravel on top didn't help either, it just shifted and exposed the edges. Has anyone in the Albuquerque area found a ground cover that actually stops bindweed and goatheads for more than a season?

2 comments

2 Comments

loganburns2d ago

You're not wrong that those weed barriers tend to fail fast. The thing is, the fabric itself isn't really the problem, it's that you're putting it under gravel. Rocks shift, UV hits the edges, and then wind blows dirt and seeds onto the fabric top. Before you know it, the bindweed roots just find their way through any tiny hole. One thing that helps around here is using a thick layer of shredded bark mulch instead of gravel, and laying down cardboard underneath before the fabric. The cardboard breaks down eventually but it blocks light better and gives the fabric a fighting chance.

abby_henderson1d ago

$200 and three months just goes to show how we all pay for shortcuts that don't last.