When using landscape fabric, preparing the project area is just as important as the quality of materials you use. While a lot of folks are inclined to lay weed barrier directly over existing flower beds, lawns, or barely prepared areas, the best performance and longest lasting results are more probable with good preparation.

Measure and mark the areas where beds, borders, edging, etc. will be. Basically mark out your plan so you can get accurate measurements. Most professionals use upside down marking paint but you can also use string, sticks, rocks, hose, or whatever you have available. When measuring, keep in mind that you need to overlap seams where two pieces of material meet. So allow a little extra for overlap and mistakes.

Buy or order your landscape fabric to make sure it’s on hand when you start your project.

Once your areas are measured and marked, remove all vegetation. Depending on the area you’re working on, there are several ways to remove plants and vegetation.

In lawn areas that are to be covered and / or become planting areas, we most always do a double application of a non-selective herbicide such as round up. Make sure the area is actively growing, spray the herbicide as directed, and then let it do its work. In 5 to 7 days after the application, start watering the area to encourage the growth of what may have survived and any seeds that may be viable. Repeat the herbicide application. You may also want to repeat again if necessary.

In some cases we use a sod cutter to remove the top few inches of lawn. See the video How To Cut Sod. Generally, this is after we have killed all the weeds and it is mostly done to recess the area and make room for mulch, rocks, or other groundcover.

I have seen other professionals install landscaping fabric over areas that were only sod cut but not killed with an herbicide. I don’t recommend it. Sod cutters only cut off the top surface of the grass and really do nothing for killing the roots. This could be a future problem if you have deep rooted aggressive weeds or grasses such as Bermuda.

For non-lawn and old flower bed areas, you can use the herbicide method mentioned above. And for all areas including lawn areas, you can use the herbicide method or solorization.

Solarization is basically baking the soil and exposing it to extremely high temperatures that kill weed seeds and vegetation. This process is very simple and works very well but takes the longest to do. Read Solarization for more details on how to do this.

If you plan on planting plants in areas where you install the fabric, you need to work in soil amendments and nutrients before installation. If possible, and I do recommend, use organic slow release nutrients and compost. You should also test the Ph of the soil and add lime or sulfur in the right amounts if needed.

Once the weed barrier is in place, you’ll only be able to add top surface applied chemical fertilizers and you won’t be able to work the soil. Of course, you can add amendments to each plant hole as you plant it. However, it’s time consuming, messy, and doesn’t extend beyond the root zone of the plant.

Use a rotor tiller or spade to turn in the amendments and nutrients 4 to 6 inches into the soil surface. Remove stones, sticks, debris, and break up clods. Rake the surface area smooth.

If you have an idea of where your plants are going to be and you plan to have an automatic drip sprinkler system, now is the time to place it. Lay out your main feeder hose and run drip tube and emitters to where your plants will be. If you plan on a bubbler system, it should have been installed before the area was manicured.

The easiest way to do this is to lay the barrier out first before you plant your plants. Some folks recommend you use securing pins to hold the material in place. It is an option. However, if you’d rather save the expense, you can hold down the edges with the groundcover you intend to use. We usually just place sacks or piles of mulch, rock, or other groundcover around the edges and spread it out after we’re done planting.

I’ve also seen a few people plant the plants first and then fit it over the tops of the plants. This is usually hard on the vegetation, breaks branches, and is very time consuming.

You can use a sharp knife or utility razor to remove excess around the edges and cut planting holes. However, the best and easiest way we’ve found to cut long runs is to use a sharp pair of scissors. And instead of working the scissors, hold them half open to where the blades form a “V”. Hold the material where both blades in the “V” meet and push them through the cloth. The scissors will stay sharp much longer than blades.

Mark your plant area or set out plants to get a visual. Use a sharp knife, razor, or scissors and cut an “x” in the fabric the size of your pot or root ball. Don’t cut the pot size out. Just cut the “x” and fold the flaps under. Make the hole. Place and plant the plant correctly. Gently place the flaps up next to the plant.

Now place 2 to 4 inches of your chosen groundcover over the area making sure to hold down the cut flaps and keep them in place.

Cut off any excess landscaping fabric around the edges making sure it stays tight around the edges.

Also See:

The Do’s and Don’ts of Landscape Fabric

Professional Landscaping Fabric

Most soils, garden soils, and landscaping plots will never need the extremity of sterilization. However, in some instances such as nematode infestation, it may be desirable to completely sterilize the soil. The major drawback to this, whether naturally or chemically, is that it also kills soil organisms that are beneficial to garden and landscaping plants. However, depending on certain circumstances, it may be necessary.

It’s almost impossible to eliminate all weeds seeds, diseases, nematodes, and insects. And especially by organic or natural methods. However, it is possible to cut the population of most to just a few simply by using the heat of the sun in the hottest part of Summer. That is, in most climates. I’ll explain more on that later.

In the hottest part of Summer, usually August or July for most areas, it’s possible to raise soil temperatures over four inches deep to above 120 degrees. Kept at high temperature for several weeks, most unwanted soil elements will be destroyed.

First, till or spade manure into the surface soil as deep as you can get it. The manure will help to generate heat. Next, moisten the area and cover with clear plastic sheeting. Keep the sheeting on the ground and make sure all edges are tucked tightly, covered with dirt, or held down in another way. This will basically create an oven that will produce soil temperature often above 120 degrees. This will generally “cook” the largest percentage of unwanted soil problems. Keep covered and moist for at least four weeks.

In cooler climates where even Summer temperature don’t get very high, it’s possible that this method will actually help germinate some seeds and multiply unwanted soil diseases. It basically creates a cozy greenhouse atmosphere with good temperatures for germination.

For a smaller scale, small gardens, and smaller landscaping or garden design ideas you can have better success and possibly eliminate all unwanted diseases, weeds, nematodes, and insects. Placing soil in black pots, moistening, and covering tightly with clear plastic will produce soil temperatures in excess of 150-160 degrees. Keep covered for two weeks and make sure it stays moist. Not much can live in that.

Again, keep in mind that this also kills beneficial soil organisms. However, the tradeoff may be necessary. And you can rebuild the structure of the soil over time by adding lots of organics to the soil.

Pulling weeds can be hard work and leave holes in the lawn grass. And spot spraying weeds can leave dead spots that can take weeks or even a full season to recover.

To spot kill weeds without hurting the surrounding area, use a sponge with herbicide rather than a spray bottle.

Mix your herbicide (Roundup, Spectricide, etc.) in a bucket to the same label directions you would for spraying. Until you get familiar with how much you’ll use, just mix a little at a time.

Wear rubber gloves.

Fill your sponge with herbicide. Wring it out so that it doesn’t drip all over the lawn but still leave it well saturated.

Separate and lift the weed leaves from the lawn like in the first picture.

Then simply dab the tops of the leaves with solution. You don’t have to saturate the entire plant to get results. Just get as much as you can on the tops and a little on the undersides if you can.

Within a few days the weed will die without harming the surrounding lawn or leaving a hole.