Ram Board May Be the Ultimate Eco-Friendly Alternative to Landscape Fabric – It Kept My Weeds Under Control All Season Long

As a longtime gardener and garden writer, I’ve tried just about every type of eco-friendly alternative to landscape fabric in an attempt to kill off the weeds in my garden once and for all. But all my years of gardening have taught me there’s no easy answer to smothering weeds for good. However, I’ve discovered some really great tricks to help suppress weeds for most of the growing season.

My latest discovery has been that Ram Board is a solid and sustainable alternative to landscape fabric. I’ve been renovating my home for the past couple of years, so I have tons of this heavy-duty paper lying around.

I’ll walk you through what Ram Board is, where to find it, how to use it, and I'll share my other favorite weed blockers if you’re looking for an even lower cost option.

Why You Should Ditch the Landscape Fabric

As I said, I’ve tried out several different no-till methods for getting rid of weeds besides Ram Board. But the only one I’ve never tried is landscape fabric. That’s because, though I haven't used it myself, I’ve had the displeasure of trying to get rid of the landscape fabric left by a previous gardener. It was an awful process.

Landscape fabric is often sold as a long-term solution to weeds, but the problem is that it’s not a permanent fix. Eventually the weeds start growing on top of the landscape fabric, then they become entangled into the fabric itself. This makes them nearly impossible to eradicate – at least without also destroying the landscape fabric.

Landscape fabric also begins to degrade after a few years, but unlike the sustainable alternatives I'll share below, it doesn’t become part of the soil. Instead it breaks down into small fragments that litter your soil with non-biodegradable trash.

The beauty of organic weed barriers like Ram Board are that they biodegrade and actually benefit your soil structure as they also kill unwanted weeds.

What Is Ram Board?

Ram Board is a heavy-duty paper meant to protect floors and other surfaces during construction projects, painting, or moving. I used it in my house to protect my hardwood floors when I had new kitchen appliances installed. I’ve also used it to protect the tile floors in my bathroom while painting and renovating.

You can find basically the same product under a couple different names, like this X-Board on Amazon, or as heavy duty floor protection from Home Depot or you can buy the brand name Ram Board from Lowe’s.

But be aware that Ram Board is different from a regular, thin paper drop cloth. It’s very thick, almost like cardboard, and extremely durable. That means it’s tough enough to tamp down weeds in your garden all spring, summer, and fall.

How to Use Ram Board to Kill Weeds

Much like using plastic sheeting to kill weeds or killing grass naturally with the no-till method, you can use Ram Board to smother large areas of weeds. It’s a simple process that takes minimal effort.

First, unroll your Ram Board in the garden. Cut it into the size and shape you need to cover the weeds you want to kill. If you have a large area to cover, you can overlap multiple rows of Ram Board. But make sure the overlap is at least 2-3 inches (5-7.6cm) wide to prevent any weeds creeping through the cracks.

Next, cover the Ram Board with mulch. You can use any kind you like, but I recommend an organic mulch, like this one from Amazon, because as it breaks down it will enrich your garden and become part of the soil. Your mulch should be about 2-3 inches (5-7.6cm) deep to hold down the ram board and suppress weeds all season.

It’s as easy as that! Just sit back and get ready to thank yourself this summer when your garden bed is free of weeds and all your neighbors are bent over, toiling to pull out pesky weeds.

Other Eco-Friendly Weed Barriers

If you don’t already own any Ram Board, there are a few other great options you probably already have on hand that you can use instead. These are the ones that have worked best in my garden:

1. Cardboard

Turn all that online shopping trash into an eco-friendly weed barrier in your garden. Always remove any tape or staples first because those won’t break down into the soil in your garden. You don’t want any unwanted trash coming up in your soil. Break down and flatten cardboard boxes, then lay them over weed-filled areas, then cover with mulch.

2. Newspaper

Using newspaper to kill weeds can be a bit more difficult, especially on a windy day, but it follows the same basic process. Layer at least 2 to 3 sheets of newsprint over your garden, making sure to overlap the edges. Next, water the papers to hold them down and prevent wind from blowing them away. Finally, cover with a couple inches (5 cm) of mulch.

3. Paper Grocery Bags

Paper grocery bags are another great option because they’re thicker than newspaper, so you only need one layer to suppress weeds. Cut or tear your paper grocery sacks open so they lay flat. Then cover your desired area, making sure to overlap the edges of the bags by a couple inches (5 cm), and add your layer of mulch.