Choosing Landscape Fabric: Linen or Polyester and Polypropylene
Gardening requires a lot of time, energy, and effort. If you decide to start a garden, you should be ready to spend hours in your backyard or lawn. One of the most serious problems is weeding. It’s a big mistake to neglect this problem. The pesky plants are the main enemies of both crops and flowers. That’s why it’s of prime importance to prevent weeding. Otherwise, you risk losing harvest. Moreover, weeds are not the best decoration for your landscape design.
Landscape fabric is the most effective way to get rid of weeds. Yet, it’s necessary to choose the most appropriate type. There are plenty of available variants. They differ in size, color, and purpose of use. The main criterion you should pay attention to is the used materials. There are two main varieties you may consider – linen and polyester or polypropylene.
Linen landscape fabric: pros and cons
Many beginner gardeners believe that the linen sample is an ideal one. They consider it to be effective, lightweight, and eco-friendly. Yet, everyone who has ever tied to use this type knows for sure that it’s not very convenient. You should keep in mind the following peculiarities of the material:
- It’s not durable. If you are going to use linen samples for several seasons, you will be definitely disappointed. Some hardy vines are able to make holes in the material. Moreover, it’s not an ideal variant for building pathways or driveways. It’s not possible to wash the linen rolls with the help of your washing machine;
- It’s not the most effective means. Because pesky plants are able to destroy the covering, it doesn’t perform its functions well. You have to change the layers regularly to protect your garden from pesky vines;
- It’s rather expensive. As you have to remove the spoiled layers quite often, the total expenses are rather high.
At the same time, linen variation is absolutely safe for crops. It’s an eco-friendly material. You can use it for both flowers and edibles. You don’t need to be afraid of poisoning your pets walking in the garden.
Polyester or polypropylene landscape fabric
There is a common misbelief that polyester or polypropylene type is more dangerous than a linen one. It’s not true. The materials differ greatly from ordinary plastic. They do not release harmful chemicals. They do not affect plants.
More and more landowners prefer polyester or polypropylene samples. It’s easy-to-use. The only tool you need is scissors. You may use them to make wholes if you are going to cover vegetable beds. When it comes to protecting your lawn, you don’t even need scissors.
It’s possible to pick up the appropriate variant for every landowner. On the site Flarmor, you can get acquainted with a wide range of available variants. The samples are sold in rolls. You have to pay attention to the sizes of the sample. It’s important to cover all the ground. Otherwise, the weeds are able to extend far beyond the beds.
Moreover, the fabric requires no special care. Some varieties can serve up to 10 years. To prolong the lifespan, it’s better to remove the sample after the growing season ends. Polyester and polypropylene take the sun and water well. Moreover, the material helps to keep moisture. It benefits the growth of the plants.
If you have never before used landscape fabric, you should keep in mind the following tips:
- Before applying covering, it’s better to get rid of pesky plants. Yet, at the beginning of the growing season, there are not many harmful greeneries. You don’t need to work hard. By the way, it’s not a good idea to apply chemicals;
- You have to cover the material with manure. If you don’t do it, the fabric still prevents weeding but not that long.
To conclude, it should be noticed that landscape fabric is an important thing is your garden. It benefits the growth of plants and prevents weeding.
Syed Azeem Haider is an enthusiastic writer, loves to write on social issues, current affairs, books and T.V reviews, currently working for homepick as a digital marketer.