Home > Projects >

How to plant through weed-suppressing membrane

You will need: Weed-suppressing membrane, knife, trowel, mulch

If you want to make your garden less work, then one place to start is by using weed-suppressing membrane over the borders. This fabric is porous, so water can pass down through it to plant roots, but is dense enough to stop weeds growing up.

Best time to do it:

Step 1

Ideally, this is best laid over a bare border before you start planting. Overlap the edges if you use more than one strip.

Step 2

Cut an X with a sharp knife where you want to plant and peel back the flaps to dig the planting hole.

Step 3

Position the plant and fill in the hole, firming the plant into place. Fold the flaps of fabric back over the soil around the plant.

Step 4

Disguise the fabric (and help it last longer) with a deep layer of mulch, like bark or gravel. This also helps reduce moisture loss in summer. Leave a small saucer-shaped depression immediately around the plant stem so it cannot be damaged.

Related FAQs

Ask a gardening question:

Latest Gardening News

What is a Nematode?

Joy of Spring at the Harrogate Spring Flower Show!

10 Downing Street Garden Opens for One Unique Weekend

Jacksons Fencing introduces Jaksun™ Solar Fence Panel

Gardening Projects for April

---

How to: Lily Scaling

How to keep a lawn drained

How to plant through weed-suppressing membrane

How to protect against wind

Latest Gardening Videos

---

Pruning Raspberries

Dealing with lily beetles

Lawn Drainage

Rooting Cuttings

Apples in Spring

Treating white fly and red spider mite

All Videos

Explore Gardens from Around the World

Pukekura Park
New Plymouth, New Zealand

Powerscourt Gardens
Enniskerry, Co. Wicklow, Ireland

Kenrokuen Garden
Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Japan

Keukenhof
Lisse, Netherlands

Royal Botanic Garden Sydney
Sydney, Australia

Medellin Botanical Garden
Medellin, Columbia