Gardening & Landscaping
julieandjojo
member
Dear Community,
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
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Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Should I take up the black garden fabric?
Hi everyone! I planted two hydrangea in front of my house last year and, being new to gardening, I used black garden fabric under the woodchips b/c that's what I read on the internet as being the best weed preventer. Well now that I am a little more experienced but still very much a novice, I am reading that it may not be that great b/c it can drain the soil of nutrients, and weeds can still grow over and under it which is happening. I am concerned that if I remove the fabric, the weeds will become rampant. Right now they are mostly at bay around the edge of the garden and a few in it which I can pick out - but the fabric doesn't let me unroot the weeds, since I can't get to it. I also plan to plant more than just the two hydrangea there so that would be another reason to get rid of the fabric. Suggestions/thoughts? If you think I should remove the fabric, what is another safe way to control weeds? Thanks!
Daisy & Picabo 
Proud Newbie Gardener
Proud Newbie Gardener
Re: Should I take up the black garden fabric?
When you make a garden bed, you first prepare the soil by removing all the grass and weeds. Then you plant, then you mulch.
Weed seed will blow in and sprout on the surface regardless, but they are very easy to pull from mulch. The fabric does nothing to prevent that, and it can greatly reduce the amount of water that reaches the roots of your landscape plants.
Get rid of the fabric. If you never removed the weeds and grass, do it, and then replant your plants (keep the roots moist while you prepare the beds)..
Proud Newbie Gardener