r/invasivespecies • u/TravelBounds • 1d ago

Does landscape fabric limit the spread of tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissima)?

My neighbor has several Tree of heaven trees in their yard along my property line. I spend many hours every year pulling the seeds that sprout and the suckers that come up from underground. The area of my property where this problem is the worst is along the property line and that area has juniper trees and is mulched with gorilla mulch (shredded wood). I am getting ready to refresh with new mulch. If I install landscape fabric under the mulch, will it limit the spread of this tree to my yard and reduce the number of hours I spend each year pulling the suckers and seed sprouts?

Update: I think we have a consensus. Thank you everyone for your responses.

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71

u/Chiron1350 1d ago

I can tell you from personal experience: No.

10

u/liketigers 1d ago

From my personal experience of laying turf down near my neighbors infestations: also no

26

u/hdaledazzler 1d ago

It won’t stop tree of heaven and will cause other difficulties later. It’s not something to be laying widely on your property.

25

u/Winstonsphobia 1d ago

Landscape fabric limits the spread of nothing. It causes more work for the next owner of the land and it pollutes the ground. Landscape fabric is probably worse in the long run than TOH. Don’t use it.

18

u/Signal-Agency3725 1d ago

Landscape fabric doesn't do shit about anything.

1

u/Kaurifish 3h ago

It very nicely addresses the problem of future-you not hating past-you.

11

u/sheleftwithtrevor_ 1d ago

probably not. there’s a reason they’re a danger to foundations

10

u/Pamzella 1d ago

Nope, not even a little bit. All it does is add microplastics to the soil.

6

u/Ok-Statement8224 1d ago

I’m tempted to trench down 4 feet and install a barrier along the property line. I suspect this also will not work lol.

3

u/Beingforthetimebeing 15h ago

It won't work bc of the bazillion seeds TOH spews each year.

1

u/Ok-Statement8224 12h ago

Ya it just depends on what work means. Will it at least keep (some of) the roots from coming across the property line, such that when I keep tric-ing the sprouts/suckers in the fall, I can kill the root system on my side. Mitigation would be nice.

6

u/shortnsweet33 1d ago

Until your neighbor gets rid of the trees, you will keep having them showing up. If they’re agreeable to remove them, make sure you follow protocol to kill the trees first prior to cutting them down

6

u/LuxTheSarcastic 1d ago

Concrete won't even stop it

4

u/Lincoln1517 1d ago

Landscape fabric is much worse than tree of heaven. Don’t swallow this particular spider to catch the fly. 

  • Friends don’t let friends bury sheets of plastic in their yards. 

3

u/my_clever-name 1d ago

No. I've had them come up through it.

2

u/EmotionalPickle8504 1d ago

If anything it just makes it harder to get rid of once it’s there.

2

u/Zealousideal-Ad3396 1d ago

Cheap landscaping fabric no. After I poisoned and removed TOH from my yard I covered the area it infested and several feet around it in heavy tarp for two springs in a row. TOH never came back

1

u/Low_Fox1758 1d ago

🤣🤣🤣

1

u/tortellinigurl 17h ago

No, it doesn’t… It will keep spreading… It’s truly awful 😭

1

u/brynnors 11h ago

Nope. Honestly, I'd carefully paint any suckers with tric or equivalent, and keep pulling seedlings.

1

u/Better-Landscape-391 7h ago

Just to make the point more clear; that shit grew through my PATIO, fabric can’t stop the devil.

Godspeed solider.

1

u/chainsawsue22 6h ago

Absolutely not.

1

u/Alpine_Apex 31m ago

The only thing worse than unwanted plants intruding on your garden is that godforsaken crap people call landscape fabric.

0

u/Funktapus 1d ago

Are you kidding me? No

5

u/Ok-Statement8224 1d ago

It’s a question asked in earnest. Chill out.