Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Hot and humid Southwest Florida. Year around growth of weeds from seeds blown in the wind or "deposited" by birds and other animals. The only way to get professional results in your mulched/stoned landscaping is to use a commercial grade ground cover instead of those light and flimsy ones sold at the home improvement stores. The cheap ones rip and tear easily and allow new weeds to grow even through the cloth. This particular DeWitt material is heavy, easy to work with, and comes with a five year guarantee. I've used it in all my landscaped areas to prevent weeds from popping up while still allowing the soil to breathe and water to soak through. The "anchor staples" suggested to be sold with it are among the best staples that I've ever used, sharp enough to easily pierce the ground cloth, long enough to lock it down, and thick enough to last a long time in this climate. They're made of 11 gauge steel. Here are a few tips for you. When you lay your ground cover down, DO NOT pull it tight. A tight weed barrier is very easy to tear especially if you walk on it. If you leave it fairly loose, it will be able to shift enough underfoot to resist tearing. Avoid walking on it if you can, especially if you use stones to cover it. Use your staples sparingly for a couple of reasons. Number one is simply that the weight of the mulch or stones will hold it down well enough. I often just use the staples to keep the weed barrier in place on windy days, and then remove most of the staples, only leaving the ones in that hold down the perimeter. I cover the holes left by the removed staples with a piece of waterproof plumber's tape. The other thing worth doing is to fold some of the ground cloth over each of the staples. Every piercing you make in the weed barrier allows seeds to intrude, the exact thing that you are trying to prevent in the first place. And if you're using wood or landscape timbers to frame the area, make sure to use a heavy duty stapler to fasten the ground cloth to the sides of the wood, again leaving the cloth loose instead of fastening it tightly. This will help avoid weeds growing up between the wood frame and the mulch (or stones) you use to cover the cloth.