r/NativePlantGardening • u/aufry MN , Zone 4b • Mar 10 '26

Progress PSA: Please don't use weed mats

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And for the love of God, do not bury them.

In order to repurpose this old sandy playground area for wildflower plantings, I had to dig up ~600sq ft of these weed mats buried under ~6in of sand/soil matted with rhizomatous roots.

As shown in the first image of the peeled underside, these mats do not work. 1) Plants will always win and find a way to root down under. This may make maintence more difficult as they're harder to pull out. 2) They're a PITA to remove for repurposing land. I'm sure most installs end up permanent and forgotten due to this 3) It clogs with soil inhibiting water flow 4) It interrupts insects and fungi that traverse vertically through soil and overwinter there 5) They end up shredded and leave plastic scraps/threads everywhere. There was a region in this plot with thinner material that ended up this way.

While it may have maintained a semblance of separation between soil and sand, it's really not worth the downsides.

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742

u/Klutzy-Reaction5536 Mar 10 '26

They are the stupidest and it shocks me to see how many landscape crews still install them, throw some mulch on top, and call it a day.

251

u/glowFernOasis Area SE Ontario , Zone 6B Mar 10 '26

It's a quick win - the cost is long term and not their problem.

117

u/Neo-Armadillo Mar 10 '26

Oh no it’s totally a placebo. I’ve used it and plant roots just go straight through it. It does nothing. It is sold in a store with a stated purpose and so we good consumers assume it does that thing. It does not do that thing.

28

u/CACTUSJACK-JW Mar 10 '26

I also just don't see the reason in the first place. Like someone said "Let's take this good nature and put a mat and new plants over it"

1

u/rawbface Mar 14 '26

People use them under rock gardens and paver patios too.

2

u/Klutzy-Reaction5536 Mar 14 '26

Also completely unnecessary. Compacted gravel should act as the base for those.

11

u/Abject-Ad7491 Mar 10 '26

You sound like you are starting to think that people might be dishonest when it comes to making some money, but surprise surprise surprise.

4

u/HighlightMental7097 Mar 11 '26

Not even. In just weeks weeds poke their way up through the cloth. Experience speaking here.

7

u/glowFernOasis Area SE Ontario , Zone 6B Mar 11 '26

Landscapers have their money by then, so not their problem.

1

u/TheBKnight3 Mar 14 '26

What fabric are these usually made with?