Hey everyone! I'm currently planning my garden layout and I haven't added soil yet. I'm wondering when it's best to lay down the black weed guard fabric. Should I put it down before filling the raised bed with soil, or is it better to lay it on top of the soil? I've seen different opinions on this, and I'm using a raised garden that's 1.5 feet high. Also, I'm still gathering materials—definitely a moment of realization for me!
3 Answers
Honestly, I wouldn’t use weed fabric at all. If you're worried about weeds coming up from below, you might consider some hardware cloth instead to keep critters out. But privacy-wise, if it's a true raised bed, most weeds and grass won't make it through that 1.5 feet, so you might not need anything at all!
You actually don't need to use weed guard fabric! Instead, try using cardboard or several layers of newspaper. They work just as well to smother grass and weeds until they perish, plus they won't break down into plastic bits in your soil. Just lay them out, extending a bit beyond the edges of your raised bed, and then put your soil on top.
I second that! I started a new plot this year, and instead of weed fabric, I put down cardboard on the grass and topped it with a good 6 inches of manure and wood chip mulch. It's been successful in suppressing the lawn and should work well for my vining plants.