Not Traditional Landscape Fabric: The Eco-Friendly Material You Could Use Instead

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

Landscape fabric is a divisive material. Some gardeners swear by it; others shun it. While we all want to keep weeds under wraps, many don't enjoy the fact that landscape fabric is made of plastic. As they degrade, sheets of landscape fabric slowly leach microplastics into the soil, which is definitely not something you want for your vegetables. Canvas drop cloths are an eco-friendly alternative that can easily sub for landscape fabric in almost any area of your garden or hardscape.

Canvas drop cloths, the kind used by painters to contain spills, are made of cotton, so they won't be leaching any microplastics. Keep weights in mind when you're shopping for a canvas drop cloth for your next landscaping project. You'll usually see drop cloths come in weights of 6, 8, 10, and 12 ounces. Heavier weight means more absorbency, which equals less water penetration. You might want to opt for a 6- or 8-ounce cloth to strike the right balance between suppressing weeds while still letting air and water reach your soil.

Finally, make sure any canvas drop cloth you put in your garden is untreated and doesn't have any extra plastic liners: some canvas drop cloths come with polyethylene films, which defeats the purpose of using them as eco-friendly weed barriers. Plain old cotton is what your plants crave, like this 12 ft. x 15 ft., 8 oz. Natural Canvas Drop Cloth from Home Depot.

Installing canvas drop cloths in place of landscape fabric is pretty straightforward. You can cut holes in your cloth to fit around your plants, or you can cut the canvas into strips measured to the length and width of your beds. Then, lay a patchwork pattern to create open squares for your plants. 

If you're planning to use canvas for hardscaping projects, such as a base underneath gravel or decorative stone, consider going for a heavier weight like 10 or 12 ounces. Water penetration and soil breathability are less of a priority in hardscapes. You'll also want something sturdy to keep your hardscape material from sinking into the soil over time. Hanging potted plants are another place where canvas drop cloth really excels, effectively keeping soil and water from dripping down while looking more natural than plastic. You'll just need to cut it to size.

Canvas drop cloths are one of many eco-friendly alternatives to landscape fabric. Other options include cardboard, Ram Board (a common flooring product), and the classic mulch, although it can be a bit tricky to pick the best type of mulch for your project. The goal in all cases is to suppress weed growth without toxifying the soil, but canvas drop cloths are the closest replacement to landscape fabric you can get — without the plastic.