The best weed control fabric to choose will depend on the area you want to use it. Here, we examine the different areas of a garden or landscaping scheme to help identify the best membrane to lay.
Garden borders
Under garden borders, a lightweight geotextile fabric can be very efficient at controlling weed growth. Weedtex allows nutrients, including liquid feed and fertilisers, into the soil. This helps to promote plant growth but starves weeds of the light they need to grow. If you’re using Landtex or Groundtex fabrics in other areas of your garden, perhaps under pathways or planted sections, these can also be used for weed control in garden borders.
Planted areas and beds
Planted areas that are larger than the average garden border or that include a planting scheme, may benefit from a thicker alternative to Weedtex. Landtex landscaping fabric provides heavier-duty weed control. It can be cut easily without fraying, then covered with a layer of bark or mulch.
Under rockeries
Rockeries demand a more robust landscaping fabric to suppress weeds and provide tear resistance against the rocks and stones. Groundtex is a sturdy woven fabric and substantial duty weed barrier. It has excellent strength and tear resistance, making it the ideal geotextile membrane for weed control under rockeries.
Under artificial grass
As no plant life needs to be able to thrive under artificial grass, a permeable membrane, such as Drivetex, is best to stop weeds growing. Although Groundtex can be used, especially if you’re using it in other areas of your garden, Drivetex is the best option under artificial grass, because it has a smoother surface that doesn’t snag on the backing material of the artificial grass, making it easier to work with.
Although Drivetex is not typically used as a weed control fabric, as it doesn’t have sufficient opacity, it is suitable for this application as the dense artificial grass material blocks out the light and Drivetex acts as a secondary barrier to inhibit weed growth. It’s heavy-duty and non-woven, so provides good ground stabilisation without compromising filtration and drainage – essential properties beneath an artificial lawn.
Under decking
As a standard duty geotextile membrane, Weedtex is the best weed suppressant under decking. Typically, the ground under decking will not need a heavier duty fabric to control weeds. However, if you’re using Landtex or Groundtex fabrics elsewhere in your garden, these fabrics are also suitable to use beneath decking.
Under bark or mulch
Under bark or other mulch, standard duty Weedtex should be sufficient to control weeds, but depending on the area, or if you’re tackling other areas of your garden that are subject to weeds, slightly heavier duty Landtex could be a better option.
Under pathways and driveways
The geotextile membranes used beneath pathways and driveways that are subject to pedestrian or vehicular traffic will need other properties too. Groundtex is a woven geotextile membrane that also provides ground stabilisation and has excellent strength and tear resistance. It can also be used in groundwork and civil engineering applications and beneath MOT Type 1 or 3 aggregate, and sharp stone and gravel.
However, the most suitable geotextile membrane to use when laying a driveway is the specialist fabric, Drivetex, which as a professional driveway fabric provides the best performance in ground stabilisation, filtration and drainage.
With 20 years’ experience, Growtivation understands the needs of landscaping professionals and has concentrated on providing high-performance solutions with our Product That Works range.
Find out more about the Growtivation Product That Works range by downloading our Product Guide.
To find out where you can buy Growtivation products, visit our online Where to Buy facility or contact the friendly team at Growtivation for advice on 0800 197 8885 or email sales@growtivation.com.
