Instead of sweeping the fabric off, I use a battery operated leaf blower and blow the stuff off. Makes a great Mother’s Day gift, LOL!!

@forrestgump9576

2 ай бұрын

I'm 62 and love my leaf blower!

@dr.lucikidd2208

2 ай бұрын

I use a leaf blower too-easiest clean up ever!

@cathy3951

Ай бұрын

Neighbor chickens got in my flower beds and kicked out a ton of bark mulch. Landscaper used a leaf blower to blow it back in!

@joeyvigue8786

Ай бұрын

Good thinking!

One thing I like to do when laying fabric is always start at one end and layer each row of my fabric the same way as you put each row down... think of it like adding shingles to a roof. always layer each new row over top of the last one. That way if you have to sweep or blow off dirt or debris, you can broom or blow dirt across the rows of fabric in the one direction without running into a row that is layered wrong and wants to blow dirt under that seam.

@ryam8962

2 ай бұрын

Also keep prevailing winds in mind. The last layer should be on the same side the majority of winds come from.

@christinemccoy4471

2 ай бұрын

​@ryam8962 In nursery work. We placed it for water run off. The first piece is at the lowest, so all other pieces are on top for water run off without going under

@1gkira

12 күн бұрын

😊

Thank you, good and worthwhile tips. Enjoy your beautiful and bountiful homestead.

Thank you Kevin and Sarah for all your years of dedication to the rest of us homesteaders

@cherylanon5791

2 ай бұрын

5 -10 years is not that much, maybe check with 50 year people in your area.

@domading2759

2 ай бұрын

What does that mean?@@cherylanon5791

I got my fabric same year I saw it on your video. I have used it every year. 6 inch anchor pins. We take it (fabric and pins) up after end of garden. We still rototill prior to laying out fabric, just let ground settle first. Rain helps. Works wonderfully. We just planted over 120 tomatoes and peppers, took about 2 hours. My husband uses a drill auger and I plant plants. Teamwork. We made holes for plants and 3-4 foot parallel slots for seeds, leave a 4 inch portion also pin center of slots area, so its easier to to take up at the end of season. Thanks again for suggesting it.

Love this weed fabric. We have used it for about 4 years now because of one of your videos. Still going strong. Thank you.

@SandraMalone-pq4mn

2 ай бұрын

Is this the woven polypropylene they show on Grower's Solution site?

@annward1497

2 ай бұрын

@SandraMalone-pq4mn not sure, I got mine off of Amazon

@LivingTraditionsHomestead

2 ай бұрын

Yes.

@kathynunnery7326

2 ай бұрын

I also saw the Dewitt 3000 on the website . Which do you recommend?

LTH is really the one stop shop for homesteading success. Between their tutorials on farming and cooking, real life examples of successes and failures, tips and revelations Kevin and Sarah cover it all. Also, the links they provided to where to find so much stuff and how to get discounts for different things is incredibly useful. Living Traditions Homestead is a blessing to anyone interested in productive living.

@LivingTraditionsHomestead

2 ай бұрын

Thank you so much.

Great information. Ive tried the big box store weed fabric in the past and yes it's not the best. The chickens stole the show!!!❤

@patience1226

2 ай бұрын

Right??!!??😂

Because of your generosity in sharing your successes and mistakes. It has saved this little old lady many hours of back breaking weed eating

coming in from my lunch break (work from home)... weeding... and catching this beauty

Good morning Kevin, Sarah and everyone!🌄😊 Really good video, especially for first time user/buyers. Learned alot of these things the hard way. 😳😵‍💫😉 One thing I would add is when buying the woven weed fabric/ground cover is to buy the 12' or 15' wide rolls. DO NOT waste your money and time with the narrower rolls of fabric. It takes a lot more time, fabric and staples to cover the ground. 🥰

@michelemenard8364

2 ай бұрын

True! I put down the wider rolls and you are so right, much less work ans Staples for sure!

@forrestgump9576

2 ай бұрын

@@michelemenard8364 😊👍

@rodtb2

2 ай бұрын

Thanks for that added tip!

@bonnies1405

2 ай бұрын

I've been using this since I started watching you and I absolutely agree!

@melissa7233

2 ай бұрын

I think it depends on your application, how able bodied you are, and if you have help. Since I was doing all this by myself, I only bought 3ft and 6ft rolls. There's no way I could handle anything wider without help, and at times getting that kind of help darned near impossible.

So glad I saw this now. I was going to put the fabric down and put wood chips all over it to look good. At the age of 75 I do not need to be working harder but smarter. Great video. Enjoyed it and will return to listen to it again.

@cherylanon5791

2 ай бұрын

BUT....those wood chips will break down, making composted soil, allowing weeds to grow! and then you'll have to work really hard to remove those weeds (their roots will find a way to pierce the weed fabric). Better to just put down 8" of wood chips, add more every year, rake up the undigested chips to reveal composted ones--throw those onto your beds. The light fluffy digested wood chips enrich your garden beds. And new wood chips will take awhile to break down.

@dougbas3980

2 ай бұрын

I am 76yo and hear you!😀

@cathy3951

Ай бұрын

@@cherylanon5791 8" of wood chips sounds extreme, I use 4-5"

Have used this weed fabric for the last 3 years. It is a Godsend. It saves so much time and frustration fighting weeds.

YES to all of this! We're in the nursery business, and I recommend to anyone who wants to start one, get your woven ground cloth down before you do anything else, and use as wide a roll as you can get.

I enjoy y'all's videos so much .I couldn't help but notice and laugh at the chickens in the background getting in and out of the growing buckets at the back.😂God Bless y'all.❤

@Willene1950

2 ай бұрын

Thanks for saying that. I looked and saw them. Lol

Good morning, coffee buddies! Hope you are having a lovely day!

I bought my woven weed fabric for the first time this year and I believe it will work great!

I have had all the problems you have discussed and am happy you let everyone else know the tips and tricks to weed fabric. Please don't leave plants you have pulled out on the weed fabric either.

Your new garden setup looks fabulous!! I can't wait to see how the summer goes. I'm thinking this is going to work wonderfully, with all the fun of growing your own food with little to no extra time and frustration. AND barefoot friendly! 😊. Very jealous and inspired. ❤

I saw the "WHITE CHICKEN SUPERVISORY STAFF" making their rounds in the background! Looked like they approved of your set up, because they moved on and no report was made! LOL!😂 God Bless your gardening season!

I bought some DeWitt woven weave fabric for my small garden after I found you four years ago, it works amazingly well to suppress the weeds. Thank you Kevin and Sara!

This episode is the most enthusiastic & energetic of your videos that I’ve had the pleasure of viewing. “Keep on Keeping on!” Tim in northern TN

I'm glad you had this video. I was planning to put ground cover down and then build my raised beds on top of it. When I got done, I was planning to put bark mulch between the rows for walking on. (looking nicer) I hadn't really thought about the fact I would be creating a place for things to grow. So thank you so much for this information. I about made a BIG mistake. Another great video. Thank you

We have some that is 5-6 years old. Ordered it from Growers Solutions and it was an investment. But well worth it! We love it. In East Texas we do need longer staples. And the torch is a must.

@kimwiscaver8686

2 ай бұрын

what torch do you use?

@LazyKFarmstead

2 ай бұрын

@@kimwiscaver8686 something my husband picked up at Lowes. Handheld. General purpose.

@kimwiscaver8686

2 ай бұрын

@@LazyKFarmstead thanks!

We followed your example 4 years ago, and will never go back to not using landscape fabric in our garden. It's a game changer!

Thank you. I do use the DeWitt ground cover. Before I purchased my first roll I contacted the company to see if the fabric would stop nut sedge grass and their comment was that nothing stops nutsedge. This grass will grow through the fabric. I have also had issues with fire ants eating through the fabric if there is a big ant hill under the fabric. It is a big time and money investment but I continue to use the fabric because every thing that I can do to help reduce weeds saves me time. I learn a lot from you two and even through this fabric is not perfect it is MUCH better than weeding, weeding, weeding.

@fionaworrell4535

2 ай бұрын

Yes we have issues with ants and voles chewing through the fabric too

@cherylanon5791

2 ай бұрын

exactly, that nutsedge, and many other narrow-leaved weeds (broam grasses) will grow right thru even that DeWitt fabric. Maybe if you put down 3 layers of it, might work. Darn expensive. Better to dig out the "nut" in spring and burn it (don't throw in compost or trash).

@denyshadials5702

Ай бұрын

Confirming my decision to put cardboard underneath. I doubt it’ll stop ants but I definitely don’t want grass coming through.

I struggle with Bermuda Grass. Leary about spending the money on this ground cover. Bermuda is the devil to gardeners.

@heidiw8406

2 ай бұрын

If you don't keep up with the edging it will grow right over the fabric and put it's roots in.

@cathybradford5685

2 ай бұрын

@@heidiw8406, any ideas on edging??? Weed killer-brand? I hate Bermuda grass…..😢

@heidiw8406

2 ай бұрын

@@cathybradford5685 I like what Living Traditions Homestead did with the landscape timbers. That is probably the best thing to do. I just pull the Bermuda grass back and pull it out when I see it.

@livesoutdoors1708

2 ай бұрын

Weed whack the edges. Been working for me for five years. And any thing that pops up through the fabric just pull. No solution with the fabric is perfect.. none, you just gotta deal. Oh and overlap the strips of fabric.

@faithevrlasting

2 ай бұрын

It grew right thru the holes in this identical brand from Amazon. The good stuff. You cant remove it. Bermuda grasswill be inches bigger hours after you pull it out and its runners grow up to 12" underground. It has to be removed by digging and its under cloth.Doesnt work in Coastal SE VA

I see you are at 805k subs, well done you 2 😊👍🇦🇺🇺🇸

A big learning for us is that the weed fabric will shrink in the hot sun when first put down. A 40' run will shrink lengthwise at least 6-10 inches. If you staple it immediately, the shrinkage will even pull the staples out. And if you are cutting around boxes, etc. wait for a week or two in the heat and then trim or you'll have a mess. (like we did the first time). So ... cut it a little longer than needed and wait a bit for it to shrink in the heat and it really works wonderfully!

@cynthiafisher9907

2 ай бұрын

That’s strange, I’ve been using it for years in 100F plus temps and never had that happen.

We use geotextile fabric that is designed for laying down under driveways where the soil is too soft for continued traffic over time. It lets water through while blocking weeds and is tough enough to drive semi trucks, tractors, dump trucks, skidsteers, etc. It will last a lifetime and withstands sunlight as well as sub- soil conditions. It is awesome in the garden and beats the fabric that is sold as weed block. It comes in rolls 15'x300'. We purchase #9 galvanized wire in rolls to make our own staples approximately 10-12 inches long. They will last a lifetime as well. This eliminates 98% of the time spent on pulling weeds. It is worth every penny.

@charlesblakney2378

5 күн бұрын

I totally agree. I used geotextile material in construction for many years and now in my garden. You can cut or burn it. It won’t rip. It lets water through and you have fewer seems to overlap.

@briarpalek9254

5 күн бұрын

@charlesblakney2378 I'm glad to know you have experience with this product as well. The most challenging thing about using it (or any weed block material) is when you rotate crops that require different hole centers. Eventually, we will separate and categorize configurations according to hole size and center to center measurements. I often wonder if a person could make a profit by cutting this into say 5' widths and selling it as weed block for gardeners since so many seem to think if it isn't sold as such, it won't work. We use both a butane torch and an electric knife to cut/seal the edges. The electric heat knife works best for clean, accurate cuts. We use one of our small solar generators that is easy to carry for powering it. The torch is more convenient, but the knife is best.

It's spring here in Ontario. The robins are here to stay. 😊 Love the chickens photo bombing.

@joyces.9021

2 ай бұрын

Wow, we won't have robins for a while yet in southern Alberta

Your chickens wanted to be in the video how cute.

So appreciate your family, your gardening techniques and your faith. You are our go to for help and info when we need garden knowledge. GOD BLESS!

Hi Kevin and Sarah you have a nice homestead good job with the animals 🐖

Enjoyed your video, we did put weed fabric, the good kind, 6 year ago. Put in raise beds, the moles are all over under the fabric. Do you have moles there?

Yep another great video and I hope those chickens aren't putting tiny little holes in your weed fabric😮

I had some of this fabric last season. Unfortunately, Bermuda grass grew through it. I had to tear my entire garden apart.

@cathy3951

Ай бұрын

What brand and thickness was it?

@cindyjohnson5242

Ай бұрын

@@cathy3951 I tore it out and trashed it. I can't recall. It was something from a local nursery

God bless you both for your desire to create success for everyone!😊❤️🇨🇦🇺🇲

I used weed fabric last year and it was a game changer!

I endorse all these points. Don't underestimate how powerful a root system is. The stem will not penetrate the fabric, but a root will definitely find a way through.

We love this weed fabric. It cuts down on the amount of labor so much.

We have used weed fabric for 4 years now. Love it! Has cut down weeding by 98%. We use eight inch metal clips to hold every three feet.

@ladybugsarah6671

2 ай бұрын

I haven't even seen 8 in clips. Where do you get them from?

@angelaholinka3248

2 ай бұрын

@ladybugsarah6671 We buy them locally for from Amish for $8.00 per 100 of them.

Voice of experience, absoultly right on all aspects of this video

Thank you for all of the great info and tips! Really appreciate you sharing this with us! Blessings on your day Kiddos!🌻🐛Carolyn in Ohio 🌿

All true, been there too! Of course, most of this info I’ve gotten from y’all in various videos! 😊 Mine only mistake and I wasn’t surprised, was where I used up some clothe weed fabric we had. Not only did it let weeds and grass thru, it just came apart in bits and chunks! 🤦🏼‍♀️ I was picking up bits of black clothe all around the garden and yard! It’s been covered now and will remain so 😊

I thank ya for the info! The chickens are still loving your round planters 😂, they are stinkers!

Yes, Thank you! You are a big help when you warn us of the pitfalls. Btw. You both look radiant today. ❤

Great tips Kevin and Sarah! We have used the wide woven fabric for years now. What a game changer! So much work on the farm with spring calfing, who whats to weed. I took note about cleaning off any soil spills. We are in our 70s. Woven fabric has made gardening a whole lot easier! Really helpful information. Happy March!

I picked up some weed fabric probably 40 years ago and it's still doing its job. I did make the mistake of putting pulled weeds on it to dry out...only I left them there, they turned into soil and it was the perfect environment for more weeds to grow and puncture through. It was expensive at the time, but the labor it's saved me has been immeasurable.

@ladybugsarah6671

2 ай бұрын

Wow 40 yrs. Do you remember what brand it was?

@barbarasimoes9463

2 ай бұрын

I don't. I remember going in the office of our local farm and garden store and the lady went through a catalog and did a special order. @@ladybugsarah6671

Last year was our first time using this ground cover and we absolutely love it! I will say I totally forgot about burning the sheets apart in the beginning. We had to go back and singe the first few pieces we cut.

Your 100% right about everything y'all said about the weed fabric. I love it! Now, if if I have a hole that doesn't have a plant in it, or pull one out, and don't plant in it, it Will grow a weed. Also, If you don't weed eat around the edge or border of your garden, and weeds grow there, the wind will blow those seeds and get into those holes. I had a mess with that, when my weed eater went out. Other than that, I've have no weeds, but I do need a shop broom to sweep dirt off. Now, I've not had any weeds grow from the dirt getting on there, but it looks nicer, for sure.

I agree wholeheartedly about not putting the fabric down on freshly tilled soil…worked so hard putting it down and the next day had to do it all over again.

Weed fabric is a nightmare on heavy clay soils. The mud from watering comes through and you cant sweep it off. Where weeds are really bad, its been actually a nice thing to have grass paths and just mow or weedwhack between raised beds. The grass soaks up the moisture and prevents mud. The beds on that fabric will outlive the fabric, so its something to think about when the fabric has lived its life. The beds themselves are not particularly weedy and I like the grass paths. Nice to walk on and looks nice too.

Thank you so much for all the tips on using this fabric. I haven't purchased any as yet but have been considering it and this has been so helpful. I always enjoy your videos and all the good information you provide!

This weed fabric is great. I watched one of your videos years ago and tried it. I haven't looked back since. Absolute time saver... barely any time spent on weeding. Just around the base of my plants. Definitely worth the money. I still have my original roll... it's been almost 5 years now and still going strong!

AWSOME 🎉🙏🏿💯🙏🏿🎉🙏🏿💯🙏🏿🎉💯 TEACHINGS .😮I USE DEWIT 5 MILL ... FABRIC IN MY BEDS ....5×50 FEET LONG..😮NOW I ALSO PLACE A ADDITIONAL 2...FEET ..WIDE... PICE .. AROUND.THE..😮PEREMITER SO WHEN YOU HARVEST 😮YOU HAVE SOMTHING TO REST ON😮 GOOD LUCK 🙏🏿

I have purchased the woven weed fabric, but to my dismay Bermuda Grass grows though it! I have stapled it down, secured edges, still that darn grass gets through! Still fighting it! but the weed fabric does slow the grass down some, but it doesn't stop it. Bermuda Grass is a nightmare.

We have used this recommended ground cover and LOVE it! We purchased from Grower's Solution. Awesome --- I know, I know, I'm preaching to the choir. LOL

Thanks for sharing with us Kevin and Sarah, glad things are going well around there. Really enjoyed the video and thorough explanation of using a GOOD WEED FABRIC PROPERLY. You both did a great job. Thanks again. Fred.

Love the weed fabric from Growers Solution, and I agree about the mistakes. I have made most of them in my garden, but I can't imagine going back to gardening without weed fabric.

Use to work in a garden center you definitely need to keep up on sweeping that stuff, weeds will root in such little stuff.

Weeds grow even through the holes made when you put your staples in place. I totally agree about using a torch to burn the fabric.

Great video! I've been using fabric for about 6 years or so, have bought it in 3' 6' and 12' widths. When you plant, sweep or blow any excess dirt off the fabric because weeds will start in that leftover dirt. Weeds will also grow up through holes made by your staples. I use a combination of staples and bricks to hold the fabric down. When buying fabric, order it from a source that specializes in growing supplies, they will have several grades of fabric, so buy the best you can afford. I run a roller over the garden patch after tilling and before putting my fabric down. You can buy a staple tool that allows you to put your staples into the ground without bending over.

Using construction grade geotextile nonwoven in 13 foot wide rolls will solve most of the problems you mentioned. Just found your channel and love it.

I learn something from the two of you with every video. I discovered you a few years go while researching quail!

Loved seeing your assistant gardeners patrolling the weed fabric. It looked as if they were inspecting your work. 😁

I started using the woven weed fabric after seeing your 1st year of success with it and I am still using it. It is definitely a game changer!

Good tips. Bought this weed guard last year on your recommendation and so far I am very pleased with it! Love your channel.

here in AZ I put weed preventer down, then fabric, then rock

Great job!

Yes❣️ Spending 90% of my time weeding takes the magic away from the garden. We purchased good quality weed fabric for this yrs garden. I am very much looking forward to a yr with less weeding and more devotion to the bounty that God gifts my family and neighbors. Thank you for posting this video. I am going to save it for referencing later this yr and in the next few yrs😉 Peace and Love Neighbors 💖

Ordered 3’ x 300’ and it will be here in 2 days. Have to de-weed garden area and beds. Hopefully it works as well as this video claims, it will save so much work. Thank you for the information.

I started using this about 4 yrs ago because of you'll...last year I had to have chemo so I definitely was blessed by this ground cover I could still garden and have fresh veggie with no weed pulling...so always gonna use...I have also used the same fabric the last few years..holds up really well

@kathynunnery7326

2 ай бұрын

I also was getting chemo last year and too weak to garden. (Best wishes to you 🤗) which specific fabric worked for you? I saw 3 types on the website they recommended.

@elizabethhicks9844

2 ай бұрын

@@kathynunnery7326 it was a woven fabric..I dont recall the name brand. My checkups have come back clear but will keep getting tested every 3 months...I hope you are doing well.

We started using this a few years ago because of y'all!! Everything you are saying is 100% correct. It is excellent and seems to last forever. As I lay it down in the spring I put grass trimmings under it. The seeds that germinate but the weeds won't live because of the lack of sunlight. the grass breaks down over the summer and feeds the soil. Winning!!!!

@cynthiafisher9907

2 ай бұрын

Great idea!

I shared on FB. Love how thorough you are. Very helpful how-to videos. Thank you.

You are both a blessing to homesteaders everywhere. Thank you.

Love using good weed fabric because of your channel! Seeing the chickens all around made my heart happy 😊❤

It is very important when taking out your plants at the end of the season to not just yank the whole plant. This is very disruptive to the soil. What you should do is cut the plant just above the soil level and let the roots degrade over the winter. You will be able to remove them very easily when you remove the cover in the Spring .This will minimize soil disruption and keep the living microbiome intact for the healthiest soil possible.

Thank you Kevin and Sarah. Very good. God Bless you all in Love. Maranatha ! ( shared to f/b )

I started using this weed fabric last year and OMG what a difference. I will forever use this. Thank you - I started using it because you all suggested it. I agree Missouri weeds are no joke

So far I have made the same mistakes on a much smaller scale. In fact, I decided to tear out all that I put down and just pull weeds. Looks like I may give that fabric another chance to prove itself. Thanx for the great info.

Would love to see a video of laying the covers and how you garden on top of it ❤

We've used weed fabric in our garden for years, and we agree that it's a game-changer. This year, we put it in our high-density apple orchard to keep the weeds down around the trees. We are looking forward to not having to weed the orchard!

Absolutely perfect advice. We too, learned the hard way and will never go back!

Thank you for this video. This will be the first year for us using weed fabric. I'm hoping it will be a success.

The stuff at Walmart has its uses for the small garden. Yes you have to replace it every year but it's been a godsend for my tiny garden. It's allowed me to still garden with age creaping up on me. I'd love to be able to afford the good stuff but i can't and the big box store kind works for me .

Thank you very helpful information so glad we bought the good quality fabric after your recommendation in previous video. You’ve been a big help in many ways.

I literally just bought weed barrier today, and pepples to go on top for our walkway. Glad I saw this before I put it down! Now to figure out what to do with all this gravel!!

Kevin and Sarah, we’re using the same weed fabric you use and we’ve found the same issues. We love using this stuff. We’re just starting to accumulate the raised garden beds. We have found one more issue with the weed fabric. We don’t live on flat land and didn’t have a tiller or plow for our tractor. Just a very small walk behind tiller. We didn’t know to get the dirt extremely flat under the weed fabric so we walk along and there are hills and dips. We don’t walk well ourselves and this really hurts us. We’re taking out our trellises and ground cover this spring to try and till and rake our garden as flat as we can and re-lay the fabric out.

Hi Kevin and Sarah. I've already got my fabric down. The very next day, 2 rows were blown almost all the way out. Had to redo them and add the push pin thingys,lol. Also well placed rocks, you know we got them everywhere here in southern missouri,lol, worked good. Anyways, thanks for the tips. I seen your video last spring about it and I did use a torch to cut the rows. Love the channel and the videos guys. Keep up the awesome work, and I for one will definitely keep watching. P.S. My wife Judy and I are the ones who bought in LongLane,MO. Planning on coming to Marshfield soon. Maybe we'll get lucky and meet ya.

Thanks for the fabric recommendation. BTW, I love the pretty chooks in the background. 😍

I would lay down spaced pavers on the weedcloth to form paths for walking, plus to help hold it all down. They can easily shifted aside for clean up but will also keep dragging feet from disturbing the cloth undreneath

I bought some of the pro weed fabric last spring, and where I had it down worked amazingly, this year I intend to also put it between the beds. This weed fabric combined with the drip watering system is a game changer in the garden :)

I ❤love❤ the 🐔 chickens!!!!!!!! 😂

I go to gas station garbage dump and collect boxes for free. Cover my garden with cartons between plants, on walkways. Throw some dirt over them so wind do not take them off. Yes, I use this wowen fabric but boxes are still the most economical. At some point you just give up on weeds, on garden. To much work when you are 75 as I am. God Bless You good people.

You forgot to mention how much it shrinks. I use it in my 16’ x 4’ beds and it shrinks about 4-6” over that length. I’ve had to add a 1’ piece at the end of my original beds to cover.

Just got my new weed fabric. It will be my first time using it this year. Im excited for this growing season. Thank you for your videos.

THe big box store (Lowe's) where I live sells Dewitt professional weed barrier. So its not the store name, but the actual product we should pay attention to. Thank you for sharing.

I use drainage fabric. Never frays. Looks like felt, not woven. I like it much better than the woven fabric. It also comes very wide. I buy from a retaining wall company. I put chips on top. After 7 years I shoveled all the old chips, hosed the whole thing off and put new chips down. I personally wouldn’t want to look or garden with the plastic woven fabric.

Good information, Kevin and Sarah! Thanks for sharing. You might want to check the tubs in the background for eggs. During the video, a couple of chickens seemed to like to laydown in the dirt. 🙂