Keep Weeds Out Of Flower Beds With A Smart Solution You'll Find In The Bathroom

A flower bed is a thing of beauty. However, invasive weeds can ruin the optics and steal vital nutrients your plants need. One easy solution is to lay some kind of weed barrier as you establish your flower beds. Instead of running to the garden store for landscaping fabric, there is a smart and simple alternative that you can find in your bathroom: your shower curtain.

Since many of us would rather replace than clean our slimy shower curtains, putting it to use as a weed barrier in your flower bed is an excellent way to recycle something that would've been tossed. Shower curtains are made in a wide range of materials, including synthetic polyester, cotton, and linen. Any of them will serve well as a weed-blocking fabric in your flower bed because they will reduce sunlight to the weed seeds and create a physical barricade, preventing them from sprouting.

While a polyester shower curtain will last longer in the ground because synthetic plastics degrade slowly, a major downside to this is that polyester can leach toxic microplastics into the soil. When they do degrade, a synthetic curtain need to be removed and replaced before it becomes a labor-intensive pile of of shredded plastic bits. A 100% cotton shower curtain is going to be the more eco-friendly choice because it is biodegradable. However, cotton can break down completely within a year, meaning you'll need to replace it annually for it to be effective. One caveat: It's actually a good idea to toss that old shower curtain in the washing machine first, then let it sun dry. This will kill any fungus or mold spores — you don't want to accidentally infect your garden soil with pathogens while you're trying to prevent weeds.

The simplest way to use your shower curtain as a weed barrier is to lay it down before planting any flowers. Much like landscape fabric, you can cut holes in the sections of the curtain where you want to plant, then cover the fabric with natural mulches, stones, or gravel. These mulches will boost the visual appeal of your garden while retaining moisture and acting as an extra preventive measure against weeds.

Another weed control method also involves your plastic shower curtain or curtain liner. One of the best ways you can create a weed-free flower bed without using chemicals is through a process called soil solarization. Essentially, you're using plastic sheeting as a heat trap to kill weeds and pathogens in the soil underneath. Remove any standing plants or debris from the area and water to about a foot deep. Using a plastic sheet — i.e. your curtain or curtain liner — cover the area with one or more curtains. Then cover the curtain's edges with soil to prevent it from blowing around or creating cooling air pockets. The whole process, conducted during the hottest part of the year, will take four or five weeks. It's important to note when using the solarization method that it's indiscriminate in what it kills. Therefore, it should only be used to create "blank slate" beds, not as an ongoing weed prevention measure.