Can I use Landscape Fabric for Erosion Control?

Landscape fabric is a permeable sheet, usually polypropylene or polyester, that gardeners and landscapers lay as ground cover to control weeds, around plants, under gravel and over rocky areas. It comes in two types: woven and non-woven. It can also help against light surface erosion on gentle ground, but it is a garden product, not a slope-protection system. This post covers what it does, where it helps with erosion and where it falls short.

Landscape Fabric’s objective

The main job of landscape fabrics is to stop weeds. Nurseries lay woven fabric between rows of plants and around flower beds. Non-woven fabric suits permanent beds such as rock gardens and shrub borders, where it stays in place under gravel or mulch for years and still lets water through.

Prime Types of Landscape Fabric

The two prime types of landscape fabrics are woven and non-woven.

Woven landscape fabric is made by weaving polypropylene tapes or yarns. The weave gives it high tensile strength and tear resistance, and the small openings between strands let water and dissolved nutrients reach the soil. It works well over garden beds and around shrubs and trees.

Non-woven landscape fabric is made of polypropylene or polyester fibres bonded into a felt-like sheet. It is permeable to water and air, and because the fibres sit in a random mat it holds fine soil back well. That makes it the usual choice under gravel and rock gardens, where it stops the stones sinking into the soil and keeps soil from washing up between them.

Pros of Using Landscape Fabric for Erosion Control

Effective Weed Control

Laid correctly, landscaping fabric keeps down persistent weeds by blocking the sunlight they need for photosynthesis. Because the fabric comes in wide rolls, you can cover a large landscaping area in one go instead of weeding bed by bed.

Affordable

Fabric bought in bulk is not cheap, but once covered with mulch or gravel it lasts for years. Compare that with repeated herbicide applications, which cost money every season and can pollute soil and water. The saving is largest on naturally grassy, weed-prone ground, where herbicides would otherwise have to be applied again and again.

Avert Soil Erosion

Sloping plots and places with heavy rain lose topsoil quickly. One storm can wash away freshly amended soil, along with the nutrients plants need.

Landscaping fabric helps here because it is permeable: rain and air pass through while the fabric holds the soil surface in place. This works for flat beds and gentle garden slopes. On embankments, cut slopes, drain sides and riverbanks, flowing water and soil weight need a product designed for the job, such as erosion control mats or coir geotextile pinned to the slope so vegetation can root through it.

Eco-Friendly

The main environmental gain is that fabric replaces herbicide. A polypropylene fabric kept under mulch or gravel typically lasts around 5 to 10 years before it degrades; left exposed to sunlight, it breaks down much sooner. Some brands use recycled polymer, so check the product details if that matters to you.

Cons of Using Landscape Fabric for Erosion Control

Could alter Plant Growth

The wrong fabric can hold back plant growth, and in some cases stop new plants establishing at all. A dense sheet under a bed you plan to replant, for example, blocks spreading roots and self-seeding. Match the fabric to the planting: woven for beds that will be cut through for new plants, non-woven for permanent gravel and rock areas.

Might Degrade Soil Quality

The same barrier that stops weeds also stops leaves, compost and mulch from breaking down into the soil below. Feeding plants through a covered bed takes more work, which is a nuisance for plants that need a lot of nutrients.

Installation of Landscape Fabric

Landscapers line perennial beds with fabric as a weed block and lay it under stone pavers to stabilise the soil. To install it:
1. Prepare the site. Clear the area with a garden hoe, removing weeds, leaves, grass and other plants.
2. Prepare the soil. Remove rocks and sharp objects that could tear the fabric, rake the soil level and pull out any remaining roots.
3. Lay the landscape fabric. Roll the fabric out flat over the area, overlapping adjacent strips by about 150 mm, and trim the excess with scissors or a knife.
4. Secure the fabric. Pin it to the ground with landscape fabric staples, spaced evenly along the edges and overlaps, and tap them in with a hammer. Cover with mulch or gravel to protect the fabric from sunlight.