What it is
A 4-foot by 100-foot roll (400 sq ft) of woven polypropylene landscape fabric. Heavy-duty grade — not the flimsy "weed block" from the big-box garden aisle. This is the fabric contractors use under mulch beds, gravel paths, and decorative rock so the install still looks like an install three years later.
What it's for
Anywhere you're putting mulch or rock down and don't want weeds coming up through it.
- Under mulch beds — blocks annual weed seeds, slows down established weeds. With a 3" mulch top, this fabric lasts the full warranty cycle.
- Under gravel and DG paths — keeps soil from migrating up into the rock. Without fabric, every gravel path turns into a gravel-and-dirt path inside 18 months.
- Under river rock decorative beds — critical here. River rock without fabric becomes a dirt-and-rocks situation fast.
- In French drains — wraps the rock and pipe so silt doesn't clog the perforated pipe.
Why this fabric and not the cheap stuff
The thin spunbond fabric at the big-box store is 1-2 ounces per square yard. It tears the first time you pull a weed through it and breaks down inside a year. This is woven polypropylene at 3.5+ oz — strong enough to walk on during install, lasts 5-10 years under proper-depth mulch or rock cover.
You only want to install fabric once. Spend the extra $15 for the woven roll. The labor to redo a bed because the fabric failed is worth way more than the material savings.
How much do I need
| Bed area | Rolls needed |
|---|---|
| 200 sq ft | 1 (covers 400 sq ft — plenty of overlap allowance) |
| 400 sq ft | 1 |
| 800 sq ft | 2 |
| 2,000 sq ft | 5 |
Overlap seams by 6 inches and pin them down with landscape staples. Use the mulch-bed wizard — it computes fabric rolls alongside mulch and edging.
Buying tips
- Cut with sharp scissors or a utility knife. Fabric will dull a cheap pair of scissors fast.
- Cut holes in fabric for existing plants — make an X-cut, fold flaps under, then mulch over.
- Don't lay fabric over actively growing aggressive weeds (Bermuda, nutsedge). Pull or spot-spray first; fabric alone won't smother them.
- For contractor installs, the 6' x 300' roll is more economical per square foot.
Contractor notes
Standard 4'×100' roll. For multi-bed installs use the 1,800 sq ft contractor roll — fewer seams, less waste.