With a garden fleece you protect your green paradise from annoying weeds and save yourself a lot of annoying work. Because even the most passionate gardener can do without time-consuming and exhausting weeding. In addition, garden fleece serves as winter frost protection and growth promoter. You can find out which versions are particularly recommended and what you should definitely pay attention to when buying in our guide.
Sensitive plants can be protected with garden fleece
Our recommendations
our recommendation
Xabian anti weed fleece 150g/m² garden fleece roll 50m x 1m = 50m² I weed film very high UV stabilization - extremely tear-resistant and water-permeable
69.97 EUR To the product| purpose of use | weed fleece |
|---|---|
| material | Polypropylene (PP) |
| grammage | 150gsm |
| color | black |
| Dimensions | 50m x 1m (50m²) |
| Price/m² | approx. EUR {PRICE/50} |
| Biodegradable | Yes |
The Amazon reviewers are more than enthusiastic about this weed fleece (21.70€). Descriptions like "weed fleece, as one wishes it to be" run through. It should work best against weeds and be very hard-wearing - but still have the necessary air and water permeability. Laying it out also seems to be easy.
our recommendation
100m² garden fleece weed fleece weed film mulch film mulch fleece 150g/m² 2m wide + 10 ground anchors free
99.79 EUR To the product| purpose of use | weed fleece |
|---|---|
| material | Polypropylene (PP) |
| grammage | 150gsm |
| color | black |
| Dimensions | 50m x 2m (100m²) |
| Price/m² | approx. EUR {PRICE/100} |
| Biodegradable | Yes |
One of the absolute bestsellers on Amazon. The Aquagart garden fleece is considered by many reviewers to be just as valuable and functional as the weed fleece from Xabian. In contrast to the latter, it is twice as wide - but also more expensive in terms of the pure purchase price. Therefore "only" the second place in our comparison.
Purchase Criteria
purpose of use
Essentially, garden fleece is used to prevent weeds, as winter frost protection for plants in the garden or as a growth promoter.
Depending on the intended use, some fleeces are more suitable, while others are less so.
Garden fleece to prevent weeds: Weed fleece is the classic garden fleece. The "tarpaulin" is laid on the ground and is used to keep weeds at bay. The latter only grows to a reduced extent due to the fleece and does not penetrate to the surface over a long period of time. Practical: the desired plants are not affected by the weed fleece, as it is breathable and therefore air-permeable. In addition, rainwater and irrigation water can easily penetrate to the plant roots.
Garden fleece as winter protection: This garden fleece gets your plants through the frosty season. It is designed as a protective cover that you put over the respective plant and tie loosely on the underside. Some of the cold protection fleece has light and water-permeable properties. And: Some of these fleeces can be cut individually. There are now even versions with modern decor, such as beautiful winter landscapes or Christmas motifs.
our recommendation
Windhager winter decorative fleece hood Protect XL, cold protection, frost protection, garden fleece, cover fleece, deer motif, size XL, 1.1 x 1.1 m, anthracite, 07396
7.49 EUR To the productGarden fleece as a growth promoter: The growth film protects tender young plants from frost and pests, especially in early spring. It must be permeable to air and water so that the little plants can continue to grow. Tip: High-quality growth films are reusable. Clean them after use and keep them dry for the next generation of plants. This is good for your wallet and the environment. Incidentally, growth films are handled in a similar way to winter protection fleece. The little plants will thank you if you insert plant stakes around them so that the growth film can rest there and they don't have to carry it themselves.
our recommendation
Windhager garden fleece, garden film, cover fleece, growth fleece, increases harvest yield, white, 5 x 1.5 m, 17 g/m², 06766
4.99 EUR To the productmaterial quality
The material of the garden fleece should always be permeable to air and water - otherwise the plants are at risk of becoming ill. At the same time, the garden fleece must have a UV-stabilizing effect, i.e
- prevent too much UV radiation from getting into the (deeper) soil (to deprive the weeds of good growth conditions),
- but make sure the desired plants get enough light.
Another important point: If possible, buy biodegradable garden fleece. This is how you protect the environment.
grammage
Depending on the grammage - i.e. weight per square meter - garden fleece suppresses the growth of light to particularly stubborn weeds. Which strength is optimal always depends on how comprehensively you want to protect your plants from weeds.
tips
The substrate on which you want to prevent weed growth is also decisive for which grammage is ideal. On stone paths, for example, you absolutely need very strong garden fleece.
Guide values:
- 50gsm = light weight good for a garden with crops
- 100 g/m² = medium strength, good for a garden with useful and ornamental plants
- 150 g/m² = high strength, good for gravel paths
- 300 g/m² = extremely high strength, even the most stubborn weeds don't stand a chance
dimensions/amount
Measure in advance the size of the area that you want to cover (weed fleece) - or check how many plants need protective fleece (winter or growth). This is how you find out what dimensions the garden fleece should have and/or what quantity you need to order.
tips
Weed mats are usually between 80 and 100 centimeters wide and ten to 30 meters long. But there are also smaller and even larger specimens. You can then cut the respective fleece to size as required.
color
Most garden fleeces are black - and there is a good reason for that: in dark shades, they match the color of the soil and store heat best. Alternatively, weed fleeces are also available in other colors, such as green or white.
frequently asked Questions
What is garden fleece?
Garden fleece is a useful utensil to protect plants
- Weed,
- cold and
- pests
to protect.
Weed fleece plays the biggest role in this. This weed barrier in the form of a more or less thick tarpaulin made of tear-resistant cellulose lets through enough air and water for nutrient-rich soil, but not enough light for weeds to be able to grow under the fleece. Accordingly, garden fleece acts primarily as a lawn and plant-friendly method of weed prevention.
People often ask about the difference between garden fleece and weed fleece. The answer is that there is no real difference. The terms are therefore synonyms or weed fleece acts as a subspecies of garden fleece.
tips
Check carefully what you are dealing with when you encounter 'weed foil'. While foils are generally made of impermeable polyurethane (PE), real garden fleece is made of polypropylene (PP) and partly also of wool fibres.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of weed fleece?
Compared to weed killers for watering or spreading (weed control fabric has some advantages, but also some disadvantages:
benefits
- prevents weeds from growing
- prevents weeds (without using chemicals)
- environmentally friendly (if degradable)
- Air and water permeable for sufficient nutrient supply
disadvantage
- Laying is more complex than using "normal" weed killers
- Garden fleece rots after some time (thin fleece after one to two years)
Where is garden fleece used?
Garden fleece can be used in many ways. Depending on the specific design, it is suitable for:
- Beds (fruit and vegetable beds with strawberries, etc., raised beds)
- flower boxes
- hedges
- greenhouses
- terraces
- ways
- gravel plants
- rockeries
How do I lay garden fleece correctly?
To lay your new weed control mat correctly (it is best to watch the following video:
youtubeThe most important steps at a glance:
1. Loosen and level the area to be laid with fleece and remove larger and sharp objects. Otherwise the garden fleece could tear and the effect would be gone.
2. Lay weed fleece on the prepared area. Leave some excess. If several lanes are to be laid next to each other, an overhang of about ten centimeters is advisable. Otherwise the weeds could still snake their way through cracks. Cut cross-stitch (X-shaped opening) in the places where flowers or herbs are already or will be.
3. Finally, sprinkle the area covered with garden fleece with soil, mulch (€239.00) or pebbles so that the cunning weeds cannot make their way from above or from the side. Stones at the corners provide additional support and prevent the garden fleece from slipping.
tips
Which side has to be up? Touch and look at your new garden fleece: one side feels rather rough and looks matt, while the other side is smoother and has a shinier finish. When laying, make sure that the smoother, shiny side is facing up.
Which brands offer good garden fleece?
Garden fleece is available from numerous national and international brands. Some of the best known and most popular include:
- windhager
- Aquagard
- Xabian
- GardenGloss
- Plantex
- GardenFlora
Where is the best place to buy garden fleece?
Garden fleece is available in many places. You are sure to find what you are looking for in well-stocked hardware stores and garden centers such as OBI, Hornbach, Hagebaumarkt, toom, Bauhaus or Globus. The same applies to Amazon, of course. In addition, weed fleece is seasonally in the range even in discounters such as Aldi or Lidl.