landscaping fabric woes

We recently moved into a house that has quite a lot of landscaping fabric down over very sandy, poor soil. I'd like to begin amending the soil with compost, etc., but everywhere I put a shovel I hit fabric! Also quite a challenge when I want to add my own plant choices into the old beds (currently overrun with lantana). And the weeds are growing ON TOP of it! Any suggestions?

Fifteen years ago we dug out areas along the house, sidewalk and garage so we could landscape with river rock. The areas were three to six feet wide with gentle arcs for ease of mowing with a rider. We put fabric down before the river rock. Five years ago we didn't like the rock and put mulch over the top of it. This year we decided to put in flowers.

It was dig down three inches of cypress mulch and hit rock. Dig (chip) through four to six inches of rock and hit fabric. Cut the fabric and dig down another six inches to loosen the soil. Add dirt, put in the plant and add mulch. I dug areas a foot around where I wanted a plant and left the rest alone.

My suggestion is to pick a small area to work (3x5, 10x10) and remove everything above and including the fabric. Amend the soil and put in plants. Use newspaper for the base and add mulch if that's what you want. When your mind and body and pocket book heals up from that small area do another one.

It doesn't have to all be done in one year if you plan to live there a while.
Gary

Ugh tell me about it, the former owners used heavy plastic weed block (heavier than garbage bags) with about 6" of small decorative purplish/red stones on top. I used a shovel to dig it up a little section at a time, it is a real pain in the butt.

Some of that plastic is sticking up in some places, too, where apparently they ran out of black fabric. UGH! Unfortunately, what you are both confirming is exactly what I was afraid of. Can someone remind me why this stuff is desireable in the first place? I've never had a garden where I didn't change my mind about where I planted things! Thanks anyway! Melissa

I use the fabric when I plant a tree; probably only because I still have some left and I don't plan on putting flowers around it. I'll never use it in a flower bed, or potential flower bed again.

It's funny (funny strange not funny ha-ha) how the dirt packs in around the stones without ever being noticed isn't it flowerjen. Sometimes an air hammer is needed to dislodge them.

air hammer, huh? Ok - I feel better about mine now! :-)

I find landscape fabric useful under things like paths since it does help keep the weeds down, but I would never use it in a garden bed.

When I first starting gardening around 1993 I used the weedblock for the beds right in front of the house and I didn't have a problem. When we bought this house I used it for a path to the shed door with mulch on top-totally didn't work, had weeds growing on top of it and through it. I was really confused, I wonder if they are making it with a different material than they did years ago ?? Who knows ???

I've had weeds grow in the mulch with roots through the fabric. We weren't into gardening then. It was rocks and ornamental grass for convenience. We sprayed Roundup on anything a five foot mower deck couldn't reach or planted ornamental grass and forgot about it.

No good way but to get in there and pull it out by hand.............