Greening non-woven fabric (also known as gardening ground fabric, weed-proof fabric, geotextile) is a multifunctional material widely used in landscaping, gardening and engineering. Its core functions are weed suppression, moisture retention, soil conservation, water permeability and air permeability, and protection of the ground and seedlings. Its usage varies according to the specific purpose. The following are the detailed usage methods of several main uses:
Main uses and corresponding methods
1. Suppress weed growth (most commonly used):
By physically blocking sunlight, prevent weed seeds from germinating and growing, and reduce the workload of manual weeding.
Steps:
Site preparation: Thoroughly remove existing weeds, stones and other debris in the target area (such as flower beds, tree holes, nurseries, and green belts on both sides of the road). Roughly level the land.
Laying fabric: Lay the non-woven fabric flat on the treated ground. There is usually no strict requirement for the laying direction, but the long side should try to follow the main direction (such as slope or long side direction).
Coverage: Ensure that all areas that need weed suppression are covered. For single plants (such as trees and shrubs), the cloth should cover the entire tree hole; for large areas (such as flower beds and seedling beds), the cloth should cover the entire planting bed.
Fix the edges: Use U-shaped gardening ground nails/ground nails, stones, bricks, earth bags or special edge tape to firmly fix the edges and seams of the non-woven fabric to the ground to prevent it from being blown up or shifted by the wind. Fixing is very important! The spacing of the nails depends on the wind force and the type of cloth, usually 50-100 cm each.
Cross-overlap: If a piece of cloth is not large enough and needs to be spliced with multiple pieces, the adjacent two pieces of cloth need to overlap by at least 10-15 cm, and use nails or heavy objects to fix them firmly at the overlap to prevent weeds from drilling out of the gap.
Make planting holes: At the location where the plant needs to be planted, use scissors or utility knife to cut a “cross”, “Y” or “circular” hole on the non-woven fabric according to the size of the plant and the root system. The hole size should be slightly smaller than the plant root ball to avoid exposing too much soil.
Planting: Plant the plant through the hole and backfill the soil.
Covering decorative layer (optional but recommended): Lay a layer of organic mulch (such as pine bark, sawdust, pebbles, gravel, etc.) on the non-woven fabric with a thickness of about 5-10 cm. This can increase the aesthetics; further help fix the non-woven fabric; enhance the weed control effect (double barrier); better maintain soil moisture and temperature; prevent the non-woven fabric from aging too quickly due to ultraviolet radiation.
2. Ground protection and dust prevention
Pave in construction areas, temporary roads, and material storage areas to prevent soil loss and dust, and protect the lower soil or lawn from being crushed.
Steps:Cleaning and leveling: Clean up large sharp objects and roughly level the ground.
Laying: Spread the non-woven fabric flat to cover the area that needs protection.
Overlap and fixation: Overlap multiple pieces of fabric by more than 15-20 cm, and use heavy objects (sandbags, soil piles) or a large number of U-shaped nails to press the edges and seams firmly to ensure that they will not shift when heavy equipment or vehicles pass by.
Subsequent treatment: After the project is completed, it can be removed (reusable) or retained (if used for long-term slope protection, etc.) as needed.
3. Wrap and cold-proof the roots of trees/shrubs
Wrap the soil ball during transplanting to keep the roots moist and prevent the soil ball from scattering, which is convenient for transportation and temporary storage; for winter cold protection, wrap the trunk or wrap the crown to play a certain role in wind protection, heat preservation, and anti-stripping (especially for young trees or southern trees in the north).
Steps (Wrap the soil ball):
Wrap the excavated soil ball tightly with multiple layers of non-woven fabric; tie the soil ball firmly in the middle and neck (near the base of the trunk) with rope or tape to ensure that the soil ball will not loosen; after transporting to the planting hole, untie the neck rope, fold the cloth down to the bottom of the hole or directly cut off the exposed part (some degradable cloth can be kept in the hole).
Steps (Tree Trunk Cold Protection):
Start from the base of the trunk and wrap the non-woven fabric upward in a spiral or without overlap until the required height (usually to the first branch point or higher); use hemp rope or cloth strips to tie and fix in sections, and also fix the top to prevent it from falling off.
Steps (Tree Crown Cold Protection):
For small trees or shrubs, you can cover the crown with a whole piece of non-woven fabric; tighten the lower edge of the fabric with a rope and fix it to the base of the trunk or bury it in the soil and press it firmly to form a “protective cover”.
4. Seedling cultivation:
Purpose: Covering the seedbed after sowing can keep moisture, keep warm, prevent birds from pecking seeds, and prevent rain from eroding, and promote uniform germination of seeds.
Steps:After sowing and covering the soil, lay the non-woven fabric (usually a lighter and thinner white fabric) directly on the surface of the seedbed; press the edges with stones, bricks or a small amount of soil around.
Note: Close observation is required. Once most of the seeds germinate and push up the fabric, the non-woven fabric must be opened in time, otherwise the seedlings will grow and turn yellow due to lack of light.
5. Slope protection and soil and water conservation:
Purpose: Lay on slopes, river banks, and newly filled areas to prevent soil erosion caused by rainwater erosion, and at the same time facilitate vegetation recovery.
Steps:Clean up debris on the slope and make it as flat as possible; lay non-woven fabrics from top to bottom along the slope. The upper end of the fabric must be pressed under the lower end of the fabric (like a tile) to ensure that rainwater can flow down smoothly without seeping into the fabric to erode the soil; the overlap width needs to be larger (recommended to be more than 20-30 cm); use a large number of U-shaped nails or bamboo/wooden sticks to densely fix the entire fabric in a plum blossom shape, especially at the top, foot and overlap of the slope.
You can cover the fabric with thin soil, then spray grass seeds or plant vegetation to form a combination of biological and engineering protection.
Precautions for use
Material selection:
Weight: For grass suppression, slope protection, and engineering protection, 80 grams non-woven fabrics with higher weight (more than 80 grams/square meter) are generally used, which are more durable and have good tensile strength. Thinner (30-50 grams) can be selected for seedling cultivation.
Color: Black is the first choice for weed control (best shading effect). White can be selected for seedling cultivation and cold protection (reflective, internal temperature will not be too high). The color requirements for engineering protection and slope protection are not high.
Material: PP (polypropylene) is the most common, economical and durable. PET (polyester) is stronger and more resistant to aging. There are also degradable PLA (polylactic acid) materials, which are used for short-term coverage or seedling cultivation without recycling.
Quality: Choose products with reliable quality and not easy to tear.
Preparation before laying:Make sure to thoroughly remove existing weeds, especially perennial rhizome weeds. Otherwise, weeds will grow through the cloth surface, greatly reducing the effect.
Level the land. Uneven ground will cause the non-woven fabric to hang in the air, which is easy to break and also affects the weed control effect and the flatness of the covering.
Fixation is the key:No matter what kind of use, firm fixation is the top priority to ensure the effect and service life. Pay special attention to places with strong winds.
Water permeability and breathability:The non-woven fabric itself has good water permeability and breathability. However, if it is covered with impermeable materials (such as plastic film) or a waterproof layer is laid under the fabric, it will affect its water permeability and may cause water accumulation. Make sure that rainwater can penetrate the non-woven fabric into the soil smoothly.
Opening planting:The opening should not be too large, it is better to just put in the plant root ball and adjust it slightly. Too large holes will expose the soil and breed weeds.
Covering the decorative layer :It is highly recommended to cover the weed control cloth with organic mulch or stones. This can significantly improve the aesthetics, extend the service life of the cloth (reduce UV aging), and enhance the weed control and moisturizing effect.
Service life and replacement:High-quality PP/PET non-woven fabrics can have an outdoor service life of 3-5 years or even longer under the protection of the covering layer. Degradable cloths can last from a few months to a few years depending on the material. When the cloth is found to be severely damaged, aged and broken, it needs to be replaced.
Degradation issues:If non-degradable PP/PET non-woven fabrics are used, they must be treated as plastic waste when discarded and should not be left in the soil. Degradable cloths (such as PLA) will decompose naturally and are more environmentally friendly, but the cost is usually higher.
Common Mistake
Directly laying without cleaning weeds; Laying unevenly, leaving bubbles or hanging in the air; Not firmly fixed, blown by the wind; Insufficient overlap width or not fixed, weeds growing from the gap; Planting holes are too large; Severe damage after long-term use and not replaced in time.
Summary
The core of using green non-woven fabrics lies in selecting the right materials according to the purpose, thorough ground preparation, flat and firm laying and fixing, and necessary follow-up treatment (such as opening holes and covering). As long as the method is appropriate, it can become a very efficient and practical tool in landscaping and gardening management, greatly saving maintenance costs and time. Before starting to lay, take some time to prepare, you will get twice the result with half the effort!
Dongguan Liansheng Non woven Technology Co., Ltd. was established in May 2020. It is a large-scale non-woven fabric production enterprise integrating research and development, production, and sales. It can produce various colors of PP spunbond non-woven fabrics with a width of less than 3.2 meters from 9 grams to 300 grams.
Post time: Jul-02-2025