I can think of only one application where I would advocate it - as a resting place for plants in pots, where it would limit the mud from frequent watering, stop (mostly) the potted plants' roots from rooting themselves out the bottom of the pot, and stop dirt, etc., splashing up the sides of the pots, keeping them tidier looking and hopefully stopping any diseases present from spreading. Well, no, I lie, there is another use I can think of - to cover a temporary path that was very muddy, before I decided on a permanent footing or placement of the path. And in commercial conditions/pathways, where you HAVE to water, WANT to have lots of people through the place, and don't want to get their shoes, which may be good ones, wet or muddy - so that's three uses I like it for.

Otherwise, I found it doesn't really let any OM through to the soil and it doesn't stop the REALLY persistant perennial weeds, as light gets through, unless you cover it with mulch. The mulch doesn't really stay on it; the sun degrades it where it is exposed; weeds root anyway, but now their roots are growing into the landscape cloth, so you pull it up with the roots - that's unless you catch ALL the weeds at a very early age - and tree roots will also grow into it, but from the underside.

Do you get the impression I don't like it? Can't imagine why, says she, tongue firmly in cheek!

Would there be a benefit in cutting some holes in it? That is, in addition to the ones that I had to cut in order to plant. Or just leave it alone at this point?

Thanks.

I created a new plant/mulch bed in my frontyard, cutting out existing lawn area. I just applied grass&weed killer to the area yesterday. Then, I began putting down the landscape fabric. My soil in the mulch bed is awful, as is my lawn......like concrete. But I digress. Presently, there are a few small birch/evergreen trees in the bed, which has a large boulder in the middle, and daylilies on the front side of the boulder. My plan was to add a few inches of screened loam to the bed to raise it up a bit and provide good soil for future plantings. I was going to just add the loam and mulch this summer and probably wait until next year to put in new plants (budgetary constraints). Well, I just began putting down the landscape fabric on top of the cruddy existing soil. And then I was going to add a few inches of screened loam on top of the landscape fabric, and then 3-4 inches of hemlock mulch. Um, did I screw up something here? Should I wait until I put the loam down first before laying down the landscape fabric? Upon review, I am thinking that, while the landscape fabric as laid down right now may prevent the grass/weeds from growing back, the few inches of loam on top of the landscape fabric will only provide hotel accomodations for future weeds that may drift/blow into the mulch bed.

I also have a tree border around the property, and started all my trees, (I have over 400), from seedlings. I couldn't afford to use the weed barrier all around, but the areas I did, it doubled the growth rate of the trees. I use in in my orchards, again it significantly improves the growth of the trees. This is over a clay soil.

Flower beds, I dunno, I think they do better with traditional mulches that break down.

I get mine through the Soil Conservancy, a 4' x 300' roll costs about $75, a box of 6" staples costs about $25, and thats enough to do 3 or 4 rolls. Buying it elsewhere costs at least twice that.