Ground cloth use gardens - Ask Extension
Should ground cloth be used in native plant flower gardens, annual plant areas, or vegetable garden areas? What about around bushes eg forsythia, burn...
Knowledgebase
Ground cloth use gardens #935821
Asked June 17, 2026, 10:10 AM EDT
Should ground cloth be used in native plant flower gardens, annual plant areas, or vegetable garden areas? What about around bushes eg forsythia, burning bush, etc
Boulder County Colorado
Expert Response
Hi Bonita,
Current recommendations are to use only a mulch layer and NO barrier cloth or fabric. 2-3 inches of organic mulch or rock mulch (pea gravel or squeegee) are recommended for native gardens, shrubs and vegetable gardens.. These can also be used around shrubs. see fact sheet https://extension.colostate.edu/resource/mulching/.since
Most cloths marketed in gardening/landscape contexts, whether as "landscape fabric" or "weed barrier," are sheets of plastic. Exposed to the elements, plastic eventually breaks down, leaving shards or microplastics forever in your garden ground. Before they break down, they will reduce air, water, and nutrient flow to the soil, weakening microbial life and eventually plant roots.
For more info: https://arapahoe.extension.colostate.edu/2024/03/02/landscape-fabric-yea-or-nay/
Current recommendations are to use only a mulch layer and NO barrier cloth or fabric. 2-3 inches of organic mulch or rock mulch (pea gravel or squeegee) are recommended for native gardens, shrubs and vegetable gardens.. These can also be used around shrubs. see fact sheet https://extension.colostate.edu/resource/mulching/.since
Most cloths marketed in gardening/landscape contexts, whether as "landscape fabric" or "weed barrier," are sheets of plastic. Exposed to the elements, plastic eventually breaks down, leaving shards or microplastics forever in your garden ground. Before they break down, they will reduce air, water, and nutrient flow to the soil, weakening microbial life and eventually plant roots.
For more info: https://arapahoe.extension.colostate.edu/2024/03/02/landscape-fabric-yea-or-nay/
Thank you. The first link for mulching is not working. It gives an error code.
Bonita Shviraga
Bonita Shviraga
Sent from my iPhone
On Jun 17, 2026, at 6:37 PM, Ask Extension wrote:
Hi Bonita -
I apologize for that link error. This should take you to the correct link:
https://extension.colostate.edu/resource/mulching/
I apologize for that link error. This should take you to the correct link:
https://extension.colostate.edu/resource/mulching/
