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Another vote for newspapers, works great. The previous owners put landscape fabric down and it took me a long time to get rid of it. They didn't use it properly, total nightmare. Who puts black dirt on top of the fabric??? I've heard of cutting holes to put a plant through but not dirt on top. I'm not a fan of carpet either, trying to pull some up the weeds were totally entwined making it difficult.
Another vote for newspapers, works great. The previous owners put landscape fabric down and it took me a long time to get rid of it. They didn't use it properly, total nightmare. Who puts black dirt on top of the fabric??? I've heard of cutting holes to put a plant through but not dirt on top. I'm not a fan of carpet either, trying to pull some up the weeds were totally entwined making it difficult.
Lots of people put mulch on top of landscape fabric. It may just be that over the years the mulch decomposed into dirt.
I plan to lay down newspaper, then straw on top of that.
The thought on the newspaper is that it forms a layer that moisture can go through that is strong enough so that any seeds that sprout have a hard tie getting through so they die. The paper normally rots in one season, so unless your mulch is thick it needs to be redone annually. Straw is an OK mulch for garden beds that get worked every year but it can bring in wheat or oat seeds with it. For flower beds and trees/shrubs a thick mulch of plain wood chips, bark, stone over the paper.
Instead of paper you can use any durable cloth material not good in gardens because of the residue/remnants. Commercial Farmers/gardeners that use black plastic use burners to remove it from the field when it is no longer useful. The landscape fabric is a poly fabric colored black to match soil colors and because black in the plastic gives it the best sunlight resistance if it is exposed.
Remember that if your planting perennial plants that self divide and spread the landscape fabric prevents this from happening. In commercial beds landscape pros don't want the plants to multiply because that means less sales in the future.
Cardboard. It works and enriches the soil as well.
Actually it didn't work for us and I was really disappointed. I had heard about it, so tried it 2 years ago. I might have done something wrong.
OP, that is the 64,000.00 question. I think we all wish we had an answer. Things like Round up will work, but if you are talking about growing a vegetable garden, can't go the round up route. I just try to keep pulling the grass out. Usually by about August I give up.
I plan to lay down newspaper, then straw on top of that.
We have used straw without the newspaper and it works as well, if not better than anything.
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