Installing weed control in your home’s gardens is a hassle in landscaping that is already established. Homeowners may choose to employ landscape service companies to come in and handle the challenges that go along with the installation of weed barrier. It is not a difficult job however choosing the correct materials, prepping the land and securing the weed control are all areas that are equally important when doing this type of job in your landscaping.
Landscaping services are provided by most companies who also are employed to mow lawns and trim hedges. You will want to check with them to see if adding weed barrier is part of the services they provide. If so there are certain things to check before they begin the installation of weed barrier to your landscaping.
Make sure that the company is installing weed barrier for weed control that is made from a thick fabric. Some companies use plastic sheeting. This is not appropriate for gardens in which plants will live. It will not allow the oxygen or water to get through to the plants roots. It also creates an environment that does not allow for breathing which in turn creates mold and fungus. You need to look for a fabric that does not easily tear with your bare hands. Thinner weed fabric barriers will break down sooner allowing weeds to pop up in your landscape design.
The next thing you will want to ensure your landscape services company does is overlap the weed barrier by at least 3 inches of overlap. This ensures that weeds don’t find their way through these potential portholes of freedom.
Another area of concerns is the outside corners. It is important for pins to be used to hold the weed protection in place as you work. Corners are often neglected because the initial cut was made before checking to make sure the weed barrier had not shifted and the corners were still covered. It is also important to secure the points of intersection to keep them from shifting when applying ground cover.
Once your initial landscape weed barrier is installed it is important that your landscape services company installs a thick groundcover. Ground covering should be applied thick enough that the groundcover is not peeking through. Sunlight will cause the weed protection to break down over time. You will want a thick base coat of mulch or rock to be laid down initially and will then want to keep the area fresh by reapplying ground cover each spring to keep the covering thick and the weed barrier covered.
It is important that your landscape services company install the barrier leaving an opening that allows the plants to breath. The last thing you want is for the weed barrier to choke the plants. In order to do this correctly the company will use a technique that involves cutting an x pattern in the spot on the weed barrier where the plant will sit. They will then take the access and fold it back and cover the spot with ground cover.
It is important when dealing with landscaping that you don’t just jump in. Research the proper way to handle situations in your landscape and then execute. If you do it the other way around you will tend to throw a lot of money away in plants and materials that are of little use.