Removal of landscape cloth

[officinalis]

I just bought a house with an existing low water garden in the front. has pretty large and mature prickly pear, sage, and a shade tree. The tree is showing signs of stress and an obvious period of no water. There's a drip system buried a foot or so below the landscape cloth.

I'm strictly organic and water conscious so I want to remove the cloth but I don't really know how to do this with such mature plants. I figure I can rake the gravel back, store it and then remove the cloth but I'm not sure what I'll find beneath it. Are the cactus plant roots going to be so close to the surface that it will damage them? Should I prune back the sage to let it re-establish?

In case there are questions about why I'd remove the weed barrier, this garden is on a slope. When it rains here in the desert it really rains and all that water just flows into the street.

 

[marlingardener]

I am definitely NOT a fan of landscape cloth, and have ripped out yards and yards of it here. However, why do you need to remove it?
Being strictly organic--does the landscape cloth impact that?
Being water conscious--if you can install a water harvesting system of 55 gal. barrels or any other large container at the end of guttering downspouts you can save the rainwater to use later. That would keep a lot of water from just flowing into the street.
What kind of sage do you have--Cenizo, Autumn Sage (Salvia Greggii)? Cutting back depends on the type of sage. You can't kill the prickly pear, so don't worry about it. Just don't let any of the pads drop off, since they will root and spread the prickly pear.
If you just bought the house, try living and observing for a year. You may find that there are wonderful plants you haven't seen yet. It will also give you time to decide where you want plants, and what plants you want.
A new house can be a blank slate, or a work in progress. However it works out for you, good luck, and let us know how it progresses for you.

 

[Beth_B]

What she said.

I bought a house (in a very different climate to yours) that had perennial beds out front lined with that stupid fabric cloth. It was pretty rotted though and I was able to pull it up in pieces. Six years on I have vigorous perennials that don't let many weeds through and I've mulched well so very rarely water.

While I don't like the stuff I'm not sure how it runs counter to an organic/water savings ethos? It will degrade over time if you leave it alone, perhaps more slowly in an arid climate.

Granted I don't have much experience with hot dry climates! Here we don't tan; we rust.

 

[DrCase]

I put landscape cloth in a lot of reclained ground in my yard .
I just cut it out around areas I want plants to grow

 

[mgmine]

I use it everywhere. I started a new vegetable garden and I didn't use any fabric on it. Because I didn't I have had I have had to abandon the garden. There are so many weeds that I am no longer able to even find the tomato plants or potato plants. No amount of weeding is enough. When I did weed it would be 3 hours a day 3 days a week. I left for vacation for one week and when I got back I couldn't see an inch of soil. The garden in back with the fabric is doing great. Minimum weeding so it's not such an overwhelming task.

 

[officinalis]

I'm new here so I don't know the territory, so I'm confused. Do I need to justify the reasons to the respondent's satisfaction before I can get an answer? My personal feeling is that I shouldn't have to satisfy the needs of the respondent, but until I get a better answer, I'll explain again.

I'm strictly organic. I don't use petroleum-based products unless there is absolutely no other way around it, and there is no need here. The front yard is also on a slope, so the heavy desert rains roll the gravel off that slope. In addition, some of the plants aren't doing as well as they would be without the gravel and cloth. Plus, it's a known fact that soil worms and micro-organisms don't respond well to the lower levels of oxygen that is a result of petrochemical materials.

 

[marlingardener]

"I'm new here so I don't know the territory, so I'm confused. Do I need to justify the reasons to the respondent's satisfaction before I can get an answer? My personal feeling is that I shouldn't have to satisfy the needs of the respondent, but until I get a better answer, I'll explain again."

Now I don't understand. You've received answers from four members, some pro, some anti. It comes down to what you feel comfortable with and what fits your garden. You don't need to "justify the reasons" nor "satisfy the needs of the respondent" (?) since that isn't a requirement and you got answers, opinions, and examples of personal experiences.

 

[Beth_B]

I'm new here so I don't know the territory, so I'm confused. Do I need to justify the reasons to the respondent's satisfaction before I can get an answer? My personal feeling is that I shouldn't have to satisfy the needs of the respondent, but until I get a better answer, I'll explain again.

I'm strictly organic. I don't use petroleum-based products unless there is absolutely no other way around it, and there is no need here. The front yard is also on a slope, so the heavy desert rains roll the gravel off that slope. In addition, some of the plants aren't doing as well as they would be without the gravel and cloth. Plus, it's a known fact that soil worms and micro-organisms don't respond well to the lower levels of oxygen that is a result of petrochemical materials.

You received several thoughtful replies...this forum skews organic as possible but we have folks with many disciplines here.

I'm also not sure why you need to explain anything? Just be tolerant and understanding of others' views.

So I assume you do not own or drive a vehicle? That must make gardening somewhat challenging at times. How do you get supplies? Or water? And of course your computer or mobile device is off the grid, correct? As with all your energy and power. Of course. Otherwise you'd be totally dependent on petrochemicals, which is wrong, amirite?

I was raised mostly a hippie kid on communes in several countries. We were absolutely and truly off the grid always. For years, and not just when it was "necessary." You know what? It was not fun. Emptying poop buckets for 20-30 people sucks. (Commune kids had that job.) Not having a vehicle sucks. Not having hot water (or any water for that matter) on demand sucks. Not having phone or internet or TV, can suck. Spending 14 hours a day working in a field digging potatoes just so you can afford to eat that one day? Sucks. Chickens had a scare and didn't lay so you have no protein for dinner? Sucks.

So what, again, are you whinging on about?

Sorry. I have utterly no tolerance for first world problems
and whiny. people, like finding technology and petrochemicals odious, while being clearly reliant on them when convenient.