Before rolling out landscape fabric to keep weeds at bay, consider the effects on your soil and plants. Landscape or “weed blocking” fabric, usually made of plastic or polyester, has varying degrees of permeability. Over time, holes in the fabric get clogged, preventing the movement of water, oxygen and carbon dioxide between the soil and the air. This starves the microbial life in your soil, which in turn breaks down the nutrient cycling between these organisms and your plants. To learn more, see Landscape Fabric: A Cautionary Tale.