How to Use Weed Barriers in Your Vegetable Garden for Best Results

Vegetable growers understand the issues intense weed pressure causes. Weeds compete with your vegetables for vital nutrients, sun, and water. They can shade out low-growing greens and choke out stems of young seedlings—not to mention a messy garden! Some weeds can also contract and harbor deadly diseases, so keeping them out of the garden is crucial to your success. 

The chore of weeding can seem endless. Garden weed barriers reduce weeds so you can spend your precious time on the parts of gardening you love. Weed barriers offer a natural and low-maintenance solution to the never-ending weed life cycle. Let us introduce various weed barrier options, their pros and cons, and tips to help you decide which is best for your growing production. 

What Is Weed Barrier Fabric?

A weed barrier, sometimes called landscape fabric, is a tool gardeners and farmers use to prevent weeds from sprouting around crops, pathways, and garden plots. Typically made of UV-stable polypropylene or polyethylene, weed control fabric allows water, air, and nutrients to flow through while blocking light. Ditch the chemical weed killer; opt instead for an easy-to-use physical weed barrier. 

Uses for Weed Fabric

While black landscape fabric is standard for warming soil while keeping weeds at bay, we recommend the white version for growers in hot climates. It will reflect the sun’s rays and prevent plant scorching. Bootstrap Farmer’s landscape fabric is 5 ounces in weight and features 12-inch spacing marks to help keep the fabric straight when laying it out on beds and help space plants evenly. 

Growers use weed barriers in perennial flower, strawberry, and long-season annual vegetable beds. Spend time checking essential tasks off your to-do list and leave the weed control to weed barrier fabric. 

Types of Weed Barrier Fabrics

Woven Fabric

Strong and durable, woven fabric is made by crossing polypropylene or polyethylene strands. It lets air, nutrients, and rain through while blocking weeds.

Best for: High-traffic areas, garden plot borders, pathways, and long-season crops like broccoli and cabbage.

Bootstrap Tip: Woven fabrics can be secured with landscape fabric pins or sandbags.

Non-Woven Geotextile

More permeable with better drainage, though slightly less tough than woven options. May tear more easily but allows more water through.

Best uses: Under driveways and beneath gravel in French drain systems around hoop houses.

Biodegradable Barriers

Made from natural materials like corn husks and sugarcane that break down over time.

Pros:

• Eco-friendly option
• No cleanup needed
• Cost-effective for small farms

Cons:

• Lightweight and harder to manage on windy days
• Tears more easily
• Leaves some residual scraps in soil for years

Alternative: Paper-based options or heavy-duty brown cardboard with black ink.

Silage Tarps

Silage Tarps are customizable and highly effective at blocking weeds while attracting beneficial insects.

Usage tips:

• Black side up: Warms soil in spring and prevents weed germination
• White side up: Cut into strips for paths between heat-loving crops like peppers and tomatoes
• Only recommended weed barrier for placing directly over grass to kill it

Learn more: Check out our guide on "Using Silage Tarp for Organic Weed Control and Bed Prepping."

Pros and Cons of Using Weed Barrier Fabric in Vegetable Gardens

Before adding weed barrier fabric to your online shopping cart, consider the pros and cons to ensure it’s right for your garden setup and lifestyle.

Advantages

• Installation of landscape fabric is easy, saving time and effort. 

• The minimized or removed need for chemical weed killers and herbicides is attractive for organic and earth-friendly growers. 

• It helps the soil retain moisture. 

• Weed barriers help create a professional look and clean aesthetic.

Disadvantages

• Long-term use can cause landscape fabric to become overrun with weeds or soil run-off. 

• It has a limited lifespan due to wear and tear, sun exposure, and potential tool damage. 

• Extensive gardens will require a lot of fabric, increasing the cost. 

• Pests like voles, mice, and moles are attracted to the warmth and protection of landscape fabric. Some may chew through it to use the material in their nests. 

• Black fabric may cause cold-season crops to overheat and stunt their growth if sudden temperature spikes occur. 

• Potential issues include improper installation or a lack of ample weight to hold it down. 

Bootstrap Tip: Burn cut edges with a propane torch to prevent fraying if this occurs. 

How to Use Weed Barriers Effectively in Vegetable Gardens

There are multiple ways to use weed barriers effectively on the farm. Read our suggestions in the Ultimate Guide to Ground Covers on the Farm. 

Planning and Preparation

After considering the various types and costs, select a weed barrier based on your needs and garden layout. Simply purchasing the least expensive one is not in your best interest. Things to remember: 

• Have a plan for securing and storing the fabric. 

• Add your amendments and shape your beds before positioning weed barriers.

• Plan to mulch over the top of the fabric? Have it ready before installation. 

• Cover the area with a silage tarp or flame-weeding to create a stale seedbed before placing any fabric down. Learn how to use The Stale Seedbed Technique: A Relatively Underused Alternative Weed Management Tactic for Vegetable Production from the University of Maryland Extension.  

How to Install Weed Barrier Fabric: Step-by-Step Guide

1. Plan your Layout - Determine where you need fabric and map out your design. Measure the areas carefully to know how much fabric you'll need.
2. Clear the Area - Remove all weeds, rocks, and debris from the area. A clean surface ensures better contact with the ground.
3. Prepare your Fabric - If you didn't order custom-sized pieces, trim the fabric to the right length and width for your space. Leave a few extra inches on each side for anchoring.
4. Create Planting Holes (If Needed) - Mark your planting spots according to proper spacing and then burn holes using a propane torch before laying the fabric. 
   
   Bootstrap Tip: Remove the top and bottom from a steel food can the size you want your hole to be. Press the can into the fabric where you want the hole and use the torch inside the can. This will keep the hole from expanding and warping the fabric. Be sure to wear thick leather gloves, the can will get hot.
   
   
5. Position the Fabric - Lay out the fabric and adjust it until it's straight and properly aligned with your growing area.
6. Secure the Fabric - Use sandbags along the edges and at crucial points or apply garden staples every 12-18 inches around the perimeter and through the middle
7. Connect Multiple Pieces - If you're covering a large area with multiple fabric pieces, overlap the edges by 6-8 inches and secure the overlapped sections with extra staples.
8. (Optional) Add Mulch - in the pathways, top the fabric with wood chips, organic straw, or other mulch material to provide the ultimate weed protection and improve the overall look.

Weed Barrier Maintenance Tips

Add “monitor landscape fabric” for tears and frays to your annual maintenance to-do list to prevent small holes and tears from becoming unmanageable. To fill small holes, cut patches from scrap fabric and hold them in place with garden pins. 

Remove any large weeds that have made their way through gaps in the landscape fabric before they cause damage or become tightly lodged. We recommend pulling the fabric out of the garden, removing weeds and roots, and cleaning it before folding it up neatly at the end of each season to promote high-performing longevity. Leaving it to remain year-round may increase soil compaction.

While it’s not a warranty, we estimate our fabric will last ten years in ideal conditions when cared for and stored correctly. Of course, various regions’ weather patterns will affect the fabric differently, making it difficult to know precisely how long it will last in your garden. If used year-round, you can expect to get 3-5 years from the landscape fabric, depending on traffic in the area. 

Common Mistakes When Using Landscape Fabric

Alternative Weed-Control Methods for Vegetable Gardens

If you’ve decided that polypropylene or polyethylene weed barriers aren’t for you, there are excellent organic alternatives. 

Mulching

Don’t throw out those grass clippings; use them in your paths and around garden beds instead! They’re free and contain high levels of vital trace elements, phosphorus, potassium, and nitrogen.

Read about them in What to do with lawn clippings from the University of Minnesota Extension. 

Mulching with organic materials like straw and woodchips adds a unique garden aesthetic for growers who don’t love plastics in the garden. Additionally, as the debris breaks down, it adds nutrients and organic matter to your garden; continue to add more as needed to ensure its long-term effectiveness in protecting against weeds.

Both mulching and weed barriers require maintenance. Which method you use depends on your garden and the level of work you are willing to commit to.     

Keep in mind that high-carbon materials like woodchips can tie up available nitrogen while they break down. 

Cover Crops

Plant living mulches or low-growing cover crops in paths and around garden beds. If appropriately timed, they’ll outcompete weeds for resources, naturally suppress pesky weeds that pop up, and add fertility to the surrounding area.

Select clover or yarrow, which perform well in high-traffic areas without adverse effects. Flowering cover crops like buckwheat will attract native pollinators as a bonus. Keep cover crops in check with an edger and avoid any that may become invasive. 

Cover cropping success has been widely trialed and studied, and certain ones perform well in various regions. You can sow them at various times throughout the year, and each benefits your garden differently.

Use them to smother weeds, add biomass, affix nitrogen, reduce erosion, and increase nutrients in the soil. Our article, Beginner-Friendly Winter Cover Crops: Top 5 Choices for Small Gardens, discusses our top five recommendations, their benefits, and why we love them.   

Manual Weed Removal

You want to control small weeds before they become large, cause severe damage, and compete with your vegetables and flowers for water and nutrients. A plan of action for weed control is a gardening must. 

Reduced or no-tillage farms and decreased soil disturbance help inhibit weed growth, enhance organic matter, reduce erosion, and increase carbon sequestration.

Consider using broadforks, shallow hoes, flame-weeders, battery-operated tilthers, wire weeders, and hand-weeding tools to control weeds instead of tilling. Catching them early before they cause issues is best.

Need help getting started? Cornell College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Reduced Tillage in Vegetables is a great place to start. 

FAQs For Using Weed Barriers 

How long does weed barrier fabric last in vegetable gardens?

The longevity of weed barrier fabric depends on its use, location in the garden, region, and the amount of sun exposure. Depending on the care it receives, it may last three to ten years. If left in the garden year-round and overtaken by surrounding weeds, it may only serve its purpose for three years. 

Can I reuse weed barrier fabric from season to season?

Reuse clean fabric that remains in good shape each season. High-quality, heavy-duty fabrics last longer, especially when properly cared for, repaired, and stored. 

Does weed barrier fabric prevent all weeds permanently?

No, it is not a permanent solution to weeds, but it offers assistance in controlling them. Rhizomatous invasive grasses and weeds are more aggressive and may grow through lightweight fabrics. We recommend removing fabrics occasionally to clean underneath, level out the soil, and repair any damaged fabric. Maintenance, like with all farm supplies and tools, will make weed barriers last longer and be more effective. 

Is weed barrier fabric safe for organic gardening?

According to the Agricultural Marketing Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, “Plastic mulches and covers [are approved for organic farming], provided they are removed from the field at the end of the growing season, and they are petroleum-based, but not polyvinyl chloride (PVC).” 

No biodegradable bio-based weed barriers are approved for organic-certified farms. Review Allowed Mulches on Organic Farms and the Future of Biodegradable Mulch for more details. 

What’s the best weed barrier material for a vegetable garden?

Which weed barrier is best for your garden depends on your region, what’s growing, soil type, and whether or not you’re on a slope. Trial various products and note results before deciding which is best for you. 

How does using a weed barrier impact soil health in the long term?

While weed barriers let water and nutrients pass through, they can harm soil over time. The soil underneath will compact, and beneficial soil life may diminish.

For healthy soil, remove fabric at season's end and rotate its placement yearly. Extended use can leave soil barren and biologically inactive.

Do I need to remove the weed barrier at the end of each season?

We recommend removing weed barriers from annual vegetable gardens and where spring weed pressure is high. Removing them will increase their longevity and allow you to fix any issues beneath the fabric in the spring before starting your season.

Consider placing a silage tarp on spring garden beds to help warm the soil and reduce the amount of annual seeds that germinate before transplanting young seedlings.