I've started a new bed in front of the bay window of our house. I dug about 2' down and about 2-4' across (yes, that's a lot of dirt). Our soil is caliche and clay so I'm starting with all new soil.

I put landscape fabric in the bottom but I'm at a loss what to put along the sides. We have a couple of trees and tons of weeds and centipede grass, so I don't want those to get into my bed. What can I use to deter unwanted growth?

Can't you just run the fabric up the sides of the bed?

I'm not sure it will keep the mesquite and live oak from poking through and suckering like they have been.

Ewwwww, tree type roots? I think you're doomed! However, if it were me doing it, I think I'd line and overlap just the edges with heavy black plastic, then drape the landscape cloth over the whole thing (think lining a pool ), then lay rocks or bricks over the plastic and landscape cloth as an edging. I did something similar on an area in my front yard, where I have cottonwood trees and industrial strength weeds and grass, and it worked quite well!

That may work perfect for what I'm thinking. I was going to use some brick pavers to edge the bed so that will work for keeping the weeds out too. Sounds like a winner!

Hope it works out for you! I'd recommend making sure that the area you're covering with the pavers is completely covered with plastic, too. Grass especially is really sneaky about lurking in the cracks of pavers and stealthily creeping into flower beds.

Wow, you sure did a lot of work there! I've gone the other route, and conceded victory to my live oak roots. Three huge trees around the house, so there just are tree roots everywhere. I manage to grow stuff by sinking big nursery pots into the soil and planting my shade-lovers in the pots. It takes several years for the tree roots to invade the pots, then I just take cuttings or divisions and re-pot.

Keep us posted, it's going to look really lovely! Good luck.

Discussed with DH and we've decided to actually build up a few extra inches so he can weedwhack that much easier.

Looks like I'll need more dirt!

Good grief. Weed barrier cloth also stops perennial roots. Its a problem no matter how you approach it. Good luck.

I've never used the stuff myself. But I've followed an online soil forum for years and seen a lot of horror stories about it.
- doesn't block roots for long
- falls apart
- comes up in tiny gross shreds for years, etc.

I don't know what the ideal solution might be, but I don't think I'd use landscape cloth. I guess I'd line it with several layers or cardboard and hope for the best. For the trees, getting rid of the trees might be the only solution.

Karen

Well, I do have one small area that's covered with landscape cloth topped with bark. I haven't had anything grow up through it, but a few volunteers from above (a couple of pansies and, grrr, a couple of clumps of grass) have managed to grow on top of it. So it has worked pretty well for me for about 8 years. I think if it's exposed to the light, it may deteriorate like Karen says, tho.

The landscape cloth is/will be a couple of feet under dirt.

I'm thinking I should have had a load trucked in. Ugh!

I found a guy today to dig out and replace my grass in backyard where "the great flood of neighbors' wall" occurred. He's doing work for others on our street. He's even picking up, and including the price of grass and soil amendments....and he's coming back to trim all the trees! If you need dirt, he gets his from Geo Growers. Has big truck with large trailer. Seemed reasonable too.

Sandi, Geo Growers is where I had the 4 cubits of rose dirt picked up. The lovely ladies in their office even gave me a Dripping Springs Adpages 20% coupon and saved me about $80 that day. Of course, I went back there and bagged my own veggie garden soil - 50+ bags, but cheaper than delivery...that's the painful part. It was $150 for the load to get delivered here.

This guy is recommended by King Ranch grass, and Geo, and a few other places. We'll see....

Hopefully he's as good as the rec's!!!

Want me to bring by your new plants tomorrow? One manfreda and one stapelia! Anything else I can bring along?

Sprayed my pepper spray right into my own eye. Daggumit that stuff works!

I should be able to plant stuff in the new beds this weekend. Woo hoo!!!

Sure! I'll be digging holes for the brugs out back. The tree guys might be coming to start tomorrow sometime, so we'll be around. Don't forget I have a butterfly vine for you. Do you need any more salvia cuttings. I didn't get around to cutting them back yet. Remind me to give you a few orchids. They aren't happy here and want to leave.

It may be afternoon till I can get there. DH broke his work laptop yesterday and since he doesn't have a work outlet is being obnoxious.

if we take off later, I'll tree-mail you.