The short answer: it depends on your end goal.
On the plus side: manufacturers claim that landscape fabric can save on resources, whether that’s water spent on plants, money spent on renewing gravel surfaces, or time spent fixing potholes.
However, landscape fabric might be overkill for larger applications like gravel driveways unless the soil needs reinforcement. It’s also a questionable and potentially irksome solution for long-term weed suppression.
To help you decide whether or not to use landscape fabric, we’ll cover the basics of what landscape fabric is and where it can be used, which varieties are available, and the advantages and disadvantages of using landscape fabric. Then you can decide for yourself if it meets your project needs.
First, let’s define the basic purpose of landscape fabric in gravel and rock landscaping applications.
Landscape fabric provides a barrier between gravel and the subgrade (the ground under the gravel), preventing gravel from sinking into and mixing with the subgrade. Note here that you can substitute the words “landscape rock,” “river rock,” “drain rock,” etc. for gravel.
Landscape fabric can also stabilize the subgrade and the gravel by spreading “the load out over a greater area,” explains Michael Pletz, a hardscaper with the YouTube channel “I Am a Hardscaper.”
Here are some situations where you might choose to use landscape fabric under gravel or rock:
- You want to prevent gravel from sinking into or mixing with soil (or surrounding materials).
- You want to reinforce the subgrade where the soil is less than ideal.
- You want to stabilize your gravel base with the goal of increasing the lifespan of the gravel surface and reducing the amount of maintenance needed.
Here are a few advantages of landscape fabric related to the points above:
- Because landscape fabric can make the subgrade more stable, you may be able to use less base gravel (for example, 4” of gravel rather than 6” of gravel).
- Because landscape fabric can prevent gravel from sinking into the subgrade, you may be able to replenish your gravel surface less often.
- Because landscape fabric can prevent gravel from sinking into the subgrade, your gravel surface may be less prone to potholes and erosion.
- Because landscape fabrics hold in moisture and help regulate soil temperature, you may be able to use less water on plants in rocky areas.
Throughout this article, please note that all claims made about landscape fabric are based on manufacturer’s claims and not personal analysis. To ensure that your product of choice meets your needs, please check test data provided by the manufacturer.
Landscape fabric is available in different varieties. Learn about the varieties below to help you choose the right kind.
Let’s talk about the basic types of landscape fabrics available, which include woven and nonwoven.
Woven landscape fabrics typically look like a woven black or white plastic sheet. Sometimes they include green lines to help with planting neat rows of plants.
Woven landscape fabrics are made by weaving together linen, polypropylene, or polyester yarns. The tight weave interlocks the fibers, making woven fabric less permeable than non-woven fabric. This means that water cannot pass through as easily. That being said, some woven landscape fabrics are designed with enhanced permeability.
Generally the higher the grade of woven landscape fabric, the higher the tensile strength, which means that the fabric can handle heavier loads, better resist tearing, and last longer.
When used in planting, growers will cut or burn holes in woven landscape fabric so that water reaches plants but doesn’t penetrate unused soil, which helps with weed suppression and water conservation.
Woven landscape fabrics are often used under gravel driveways and paths to separate gravel from dirt and to provide structural reinforcement.
Nonwoven fabrics look a little like a thin gray or black felt.
Nonwoven landscape fabrics are typically made by bonding together long and short threads of synthetic fibers, like polyester or polypropylene. Sometimes heat is applied to seal the bond of the fibers by melting them.
You might have seen a variation of nonwoven landscape fabric at the hardware store called point bond fabric. It’s covered in a repeating pattern of points (or other shapes) where the fabric has been melted and bonded together. Point bond fabric is commonly advertised as weed barrier.
A closeup of a piece of point bond nonwoven landscape fabric (above, left) shows a repeating diamond pattern where the fabric has been melted and bonded together. Above on the right, we held up the point bond fabric to a light source to better show its composition. The fabric retains its permeable qualities while the sealed points provide bonding strength.
Nonwoven landscape fabrics are more permeable than woven landscape fabrics, which means that they’re a good choice for areas that need drainage, such as around French drains, under permeable pavers, and behind retaining walls.
Generally nonwoven landscape fabric is sold by weight (e.g., 2 oz to 16 oz). Usually the heavier the fabric weight, the more heavy duty the application. Filtration fabrics tend to be lighter weight (2 oz to 6 oz) while erosion control fabrics tend to be a heavier weight (8 oz to 16 oz). Check out this supplier’s blog post for guidance on fabric weight.
At least one supplier manufactures a hybrid landscape fabric that has a woven side and a nonwoven side. The manufacturer advertises it as a heavy-duty weed blocker that allows water to pass through while preventing weed growth. Compared to standard woven landscape fabrics sold in hardware stores, it has a slightly higher flow rate, making it slightly more permeable.
Some suppliers also classify plastic sheeting and burlap as landscape fabric. But we’re going to focus on woven and nonwoven landscape fabrics for the purposes of this article.
To get the most out of it, landscape fabric needs to be installed according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Follow the manufacturer’s installation instructions to ensure you get the benefits advertised. Improperly installed fabric can lead to tearing and a shorter lifespan, defeating the purpose of using it in the first place.
Installation typically requires removing weeds and leveling the ground; overlapping sections of landscape fabric and pinning fabric in place with landscape staples; cutting holes in the fabric for plants, if applicable; and covering the fabric with gravel, landscape rock, mulch, etc.
Which landscape fabric should you use? Here are some basic suggestions:
- Use a nonwoven fabric for drainage and erosion control (e.g. French drains, rock behind retaining walls, drainage fields, etc.). Water will be able to pass through and drain into the subgrade while keeping sand, soil, and silt from clogging the drain rock.
- Use a woven stabilization fabric as a driveway, path, and patio underlayment and soil stabilizer. Because woven fabric is less permeable than nonwoven fabric, gravel surfaces must be crowned so that water drains off the edges of the project area.
- Use a nonwoven fabric underneath paths, patios, and playgrounds that use a permeable gravel, clean crushed gravel, pea gravel, or drain rock. The project area must have a stable, well-draining base and subgrade. The purpose of the fabric in this case is to create separation between the rock and subgrade, not to provide structural support.
- Use either a nonwoven or woven fabric in rock landscaping (dry creek beds, rock used as mulch, etc.). Nonwoven landscape fabric works best where water can drain into the subgrade below the rocks and no structural support is needed. Woven landscape fabric works best where structural support is needed or where the project area is graded so that water can drain away from it.
Opposing opinions: Why not use landscape fabric under gravel or rocks?
There is a lot of debate in the gardening and landscaping realms about whether landscape fabric is worth the hassle and expense. Based on our research, here are some thoughts to consider:
Landscape fabric may be an ineffective solution for long-term weed prevention on driveways, pathways, and patios where a crushed minus gravel is used.
Remember that whether you use landscape fabric or not, gravel requires consistent maintenance and the removal of organic matter like leaves, seeds, etc. Organic matter can break down over time and provide a medium for weeds to grow in. Weed roots can even get entangled in the webby texture of nonwoven fabric or the weave of woven fabric, making weeds more difficult to remove.
The reality is that weeds grow in gravel, with or without landscape fabric. Landscape fabric can prevent weeds from growing deep roots, but it won’t prevent them from germinating in the first place. The rock fines in minus crushed rock, which allow gravel to pack down, may even act as a medium for aggressive weeds to grow in.
Unless the subgrade is poor, most gravel driveways don’t need landscape fabric.
For gravel driveways, landscape fabric makes the most sense when you need to stabilize the ground that you’re placing the gravel on top of.
Otherwise, proper preparation and installation of a gravel surface may make landscape fabric unnecessary. To properly install a gravel driveway, the project area should be excavated to the right depth, the subgrade compacted, the correct gravel type used, and the gravel base and top dressing spread at the correct depths and compacted properly. All gravel driveways still require periodic maintenance, but proper installation can help minimize your future efforts.
Landscape fabric has an expiration date and may be a nuisance to replace.
Landscape fabric, even non-biodegradable fabric, breaks down over time. When it reaches the end of its useful life, it needs to be removed, along with any materials on top of it. Take note of its estimated lifespan in marketing materials. Try to envision yourself digging up the landscape fabric in 5, 10, 20 years—is it worth the effort?
Some gardeners question whether landscape fabric could be detrimental to soil, plant, and human health.
Most landscape fabrics are petroleum based, which is a concern for some gardeners, especially where produce is grown. Additionally the barrier that landscape fabric offers may lead to unintended consequences. The soil underneath can become dense and compacted. Nutrients from decaying matter like compost or mulch are unable to reach and enrich the underlying soil. Earthworms are unable to surface, which is essential to their survival.
Check out a related article about gravel grids.
This article does not represent an endorsem*nt of any brand and is meant for educational purposes only. There is a possibility of errors. If you notice any errors, please send us a note through ourcontact form.
Check out other helpful articles on our blog:
- “What are Gravel Grids?”
- “What are the Pros and Cons of Using Gravel Grids?”
- “How Do I Pick a Gravel Grid Product?”
- “Choosing a Topsoil or Soil Mix”
- “Clean v. Minus”
- “How Do I Make a Gravel Surface Wheelchair-Accessible?”
- “How Many Cubic Yards Do I Need?”
- “How to Find, Vet, and Hire a Contractor Who Can Work with Rock”
- “What Does a Cubic Yard Look Like?”
