The fabric will never stop the emergence of weeds, but it can minimize it. Much of the weed also comes from above, as it is carried there by, for example, the wind. It's about having a lot of gravel, so it's harder for what flies there to take hold, and raking through it once a year to disturb any weeds that might want to settle there.
Clean gravel surfaces are never maintenance-free. Nature wants to reclaim them.
Some alternatives:
- Mechanical cleaning, if the gravel is small a hoe works well so you don't have to bend down. But it sticks so easily to the fabric...
- Weed vinegar. Removes the green but not the roots. It may need to be applied once a month to keep the weeds down. Best for wearing out grass.
- Pre-salt the area with a few bags of road salt. Prevents weed establishment for a season or two. But unfortunately, the salt moves down into the soil.
Some alternatives:
- Mechanical cleaning, if the gravel is small a hoe works well so you don't have to bend down. But it sticks so easily to the fabric...
- Weed vinegar. Removes the green but not the roots. It may need to be applied once a month to keep the weeds down. Best for wearing out grass.
- Pre-salt the area with a few bags of road salt. Prevents weed establishment for a season or two. But unfortunately, the salt moves down into the soil.