Mulching - Blocking weed emergence with organic materials, plastic films, or landscape fabric.

Back at the iris bed, he laid down black landscape fabric, extending it about five feet beyond the original boundaries, hauling that dirt away as well.

After digging out the rhizomes, cover the area with heavy-duty landscape fabric and a thick layer of mulch.

When covered with mulch, landscape fabric prevents light from reaching the soil, which will stop the sprouting of most weed seeds.

Other mulch materials (non-organic) are black plastic, landscape fabrics, stone and gravel.

Cover with porous landscape fabric, and top the fabric with straw.

Next, lay landscape fabric on the ground.

Contractor-quality landscape fabric is best for stopping weeds, for instance, but it adds no nutrients and gets an F in sustainability.

In the case of soil erosion prevention, a few common practices include the use of silt fences, landscape fabric with grass seed and hydroseeding.

But if you want to avoid it, a lining of heavy-duty landscape fabric will increase the useful life of whatever mulch you choose.