spampot wrote:

Thanks, Pam, that's very interesting. Some of the lawn is dead,
but some of it is just covered up. When I do uncover spots
that have grass clumps, I do dig them out, so I figure I'm
making some progress toward removing everything I don't want
there. So...how is it that mulch will retard weeds when mulch
on top of landscaping cloth won't? Or did I misread what you said?

Not exactly....:-)) For mulch to be effective weed control, the worst weeds need
to be removed or at least lopped off at the roots. Then a good thick layer of
mulch (3 inches minimum) will prevent much else from growing through, with a few
notable exceptions like horsetail, bindweed and blackberries. Any weed seeds that
germinate on the mulch are easily removed. Landscape fabric applied with mulch
will work pretty much the same way, however the tough weeds (like those
mentioned) manage to grow through anyway and the fabric just makes it that much
harder to remove them. And many folks tend to just lay the fabric over the top of
existing weeds without removal - that IMO is just more work in the long run.

pam - gardengal