Tried those fabric weed barrier rolls vs cardboard for my garden beds

I spent like 60 bucks on that black fabric barrier stuff from the hardware store last spring thinking it was the smart move. Layed it all down in my raised beds, cut holes for my tomatoes and peppers. By August the weeds were punching right through it and the fabric was all shredded and ugly. This year I just used flattened cardboard boxes from Costco and topped it with 3 inches of mulch. Total cost was zero dollars. The cardboard stayed put all season, broke down nicely by fall, and the worms went crazy under it. Has anyone else had way better luck with cardboard over that expensive fabric stuff?

3 comments

3 Comments

jesse_smith104d ago

Oh man my buddy tried that fabric stuff too and it was a total disaster. He said the weeds grew right through it and it was a nightmare to pull up by the end of the season. He switched to cardboard this year too and wont shut up about how cheap and easy it is.

mila_murphy4d ago

My neighbor Linda tried that fabric stuff in her flower beds and by the end of summer it looked like a tangled mess of plastic and weeds. She spent two weekends pulling it all out and just went with cardboard like @jesse_smith10's buddy. Now she saves every box from online orders and says the garden has never been happier.

william_craig74d ago

Yeah the fabric is just a pain to deal with later on. Cardboard and mulch is the way to go man.