Prepare the ground
- Clear the weeds and dig out perennial roots. Some grasses can push shoots through seams or planting holes if their roots are left in.
- Remove stones, stumps and anything sharp, then rake the soil level so the fabric lies flat and is not pierced from below.
- Level out hollows where water would pool. If you use drip lines, lay them before the fabric.
Lay the fabric and overlap the seams
Unroll the fabric along the length of the bed and smooth out any wrinkles. Where two pieces meet, overlap them by about 10–15 cm, more on slopes or windy sites. On a slope, lay the upper piece over the lower one so water runs over the seam instead of under it.
Pin it down
- Use U-shaped pins along the edges and seams, about every 1 m, and closer together at corners and in windy spots.
- Pull the fabric taut before pinning, working from one side to the other, so it does not wrinkle or lift in the wind.
- On seams, pin through both layers at once.
Cut planting holes
Scissors or a utility knife are fine for planting holes; the cut edge hardly frays. For an extra-neat, sealed edge you can use a hot tool, which melts the edge. If you use heat: wear gloves, work where the air moves, do not breathe the fumes from melting plastic, and keep the hot tool away from dry grass and anything that can burn. Keep holes as small as practical: the bigger the hole, the more room for weeds. Around an established tree, slit the fabric from the edge to the trunk, fit it around the base, then overlap the slit and pin it.
Make it last
- Sweep off leaves and soil from time to time. Debris on top of the fabric is where new weeds take root.
- Take care with strimmers and sharp tools near the fabric.
- Fabric left in full sun ages faster than fabric with a covering. In landscaping, a layer of bark or gravel on top reduces the sunlight reaching it.
The service life of plastic products depends on sunlight, temperature, humidity, chemicals and installation. Any figure is an estimate from typical use, not a guarantee.
Available sizes
Weed Mat weighs 90 g/m², comes in black or green, 100, 200 and 300 cm wide and 10–100 m long, made of PP with UV stabilizers. Weights from 90 to 280 g/m² and other sizes, colors and raw materials can be made to order.
