Should I put landscape fabric on the floor of a high tunnel?

It depends on the crop and whether you are covering aisles or planting rows. UMN Extension (high-tunnel raspberries): landscape fabric is an efficient way to manage walking aisles; landscape fabric is not recommended in the raspberry rows because it significantly limits cane growth and plant yield; aisle options are landscape fabric, bare soil, or non-living plant-based mulches (straw, wood chips); do not use living cover crops between the rows. Cornell High Tunnels cut flowers: for weed control in the high tunnel, use black plastic mulch or landscape cloth. WVU: consider landscape fabric where rows or edges need to be kept covered in the long term. UAEX MP586: nutsedge can be a chronic problem even for growers using plastic or fabric mulches. This page does not invent a one-floor rule.

Woven landscape fabric vs plastic mulch vs bare soil?

Penn State Extension: horticultural crops are produced more efficiently on raised beds with plastic mulch and drip irrigation; the exclusion of rain and the use of drip irrigation and mulches greatly reduces weeds and diseases. UAEX: because drip water is limited to the crop root zone, non-cropped areas between rows and tunnel edges do not receive water, which helps prevent weed growth. SDSU: landscape fabric is a durable, permeable alternative to single-use plastic mulch and can be reused if it remains intact. UKY CCD-FS-23: weed mat is recommended; if plastic mulch or woven weed mat is used for tomatoes, it may be left in place and reused for flowers. UMN aisle options include fabric, bare soil, or straw/wood chips. Those are land-grant sentences — not a SKU mandate. Plastic-mulch featured prices stay on the strawberry page.

How do I cut planting holes in landscape fabric?

SDSU: it is easy to create planting openings by burning holes into the fabric; burning cauterizes the edges and prevents fraying; tools include blow torches, propane canisters with a trigger switch, or a mulch burner with a mounting base; holes two-to-three inches in diameter keep weeds to a minimum but allow planting; if drip tape is under the fabric, pre-burn holes to prevent drip-tape damage. Johnny's Mulch Hole Burner Starter Kit (SKU 7664, $329.00 tonight) is a manufacturer hole-burner with a 2.4-inch die. The Amazon Bernzomatic WT2301 is a trigger-start household torch — SDSU names that class of tool, not a die size. This page does not invent a hole count for a 20×40 or 30×96.

How do I pin or staple ground cover?

SDSU: secure fabric with metal sod or landscape staples that are at least six inches long; unroll and pull tight before stapling so wind is not caught underneath; place staples every two to three feet; a few staples in the middle help in wind and reduce bubbling. Pack sizes on this page are copied as printed — not a hoop-house staple takeoff. Screw-in / auger anchors for the frame stay on the ground-anchors page.

Will black landscape fabric overheat the soil or bolt lettuce?

SDSU: black landscape fabric can get hot mid-summer and may contribute to bolting or flowering of cool-season crops; lettuce or cabbage will have better growing conditions as a spring planting if landscape fabric is used. UMN: wood-chip mulch in raspberry rows increases the risk of saturated, cool soils and phytophthora — a different heat/moisture problem. Winter-lettuce frost cloth over the crop stays on that page. This page does not invent a °F soil-temperature drop.

Does EQIP pay for landscape fabric, staples, or a hole burner?

Tunnel Spec does not invent eligibility or dollars. The High Tunnel System Initiative FAQ says financial assistance is provided only for the structure itself, and that electricity, venting systems, lighting, etc. can be installed if they meet manufacturer designs — the grower is responsible for those costs. Ground cover, woven fabric, staples, and burners sit with those grower costs. The Pennsylvania seasonal high tunnel page says producers can install heating, ventilation, or electrical systems at their own expense. Confirm with your NRCS district conservationist. See what EQIP will not pay for.

Ground cover · weed barrier · not a kit

Ground cover / weed barrier for a high tunnel: woven landscape fabric vs mulch vs bare soil, burn holes, staples, aisles (sourced)

Growers search what to put on the floor of a high tunnel — woven landscape fabric, weed barrier, how to burn planting holes, which staples, and whether aisles stay bare. This page is the floor-cover sibling. Frost cloth over the crop stays on high-tunnel winter lettuce. Plastic-mulch featured prices stay on high-tunnel strawberries. Drip hardware stays on high-tunnel drip irrigation. Auger hold-downs stay on high-tunnel ground anchors. It is not a commercially manufactured high-tunnel kit and not a USDA payment schedule.

Extension quotes copied 14 October 2026, about 03:15 UTC from UMN, Cornell High Tunnels, SDSU, WVU, Penn State, UAEX MP586, and UKY CCD-FS-23. Featured Amazon prices copied the same night. A missing featured price stays an em dash. Ratings are not copied. Seller ounce or “heavy duty” claims on Amazon titles stay labeled. EQIP language below is the structure-only wording already on what EQIP will not pay for. Ground cover, fabric, staples, and burners are grower expense. No USDA payment dollar is invented here.

Kit index: commercially manufactured kits. Replacement-parts directory: high-tunnel replacement parts. Size map: high-tunnel sizes. Drip: high-tunnel drip irrigation. Soil salts: soil salinity / EC. Tomatoes: high-tunnel tomatoes. Cut flowers: high-tunnel cut flowers. County inspection: EQIP checklist.

Figure: schematic hoop with aisle fabric, a planting-bed burn hole, drip under the cloth, and 6-inch staples. Not a product photo.

Aisles, rows, and why “cover the whole floor” is not one answer

A high tunnel still grows in the natural soil profile on Practice 325. The floor question is what covers that soil: woven fabric, plastic mulch, organic mulch, or bare ground. Land-grant pages split aisles from planting rows.

Landscape fabric is an efficient way to manage the walking aisles in high tunnel raspberries.
Source: University of Minnesota Extension — Annie Klodd, Growing high tunnel raspberries (reviewed 2022).

In-row: As with open-field production, hand-weeding and herbicides are the primary weed management tools in the rows. Landscape fabric is not recommended in the rows, because it significantly limits cane growth and plant yield. Non-living plant-based mulches like wood chips increase the risk of saturated, cool soils and phytophthora infection.
Source: University of Minnesota Extension — Annie Klodd, Growing high tunnel raspberries (reviewed 2022). Raspberry rows — not a tomato-bed rule.

Between rows: Growers can choose among a variety of weed management approaches for the walking aisles in high tunnels. These include landscape fabric, bare soil, and non-living plant based mulches (i.e. straw, wood chips). Do not use living cover crops between the rows in high tunnels - they provide a refuge for insect pests such as spider mites and require additional water.
Source: University of Minnesota Extension — Annie Klodd, Growing high tunnel raspberries (reviewed 2022).

For weed control in the high tunnel, use black plastic mulch or landscape cloth. With the many cut flower species, it is rare to find a selective herbicide for specific flower crops.
Source: Cornell High Tunnels — Cut flowers (soil, irrigation, trellising, fall crop).

Once the tunnel is up, your options for control are limited. Cultivation or hand weeding can manage weeds within rows. Plastic or organic mulches are often used to suppress weeds within rows and long the edges of the tunnel. If you use an organic mulch be sure to use something that does not contain seeds; otherwise, you will create a new weed problem to fix. Consider using a landscape fabric where rows or edges need to be kept covered in the long term.
Source: West Virginia University Extension — An ounce of prevention is worth a lot in high tunnels (first published 6 May 2017).

Nutsedge can be a chronic problem for high tunnel growers, even growers utilizing plastic or fabric mulches for weed control.
Source: University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture — High Tunnel Production Guide for Arkansas and the Southeast (MP586). Fabric is not a nutsedge guarantee.

Plastic mulch and drip vs woven fabric

Penn State’s high-tunnel system is raised beds, plastic mulch, and drip — not a woven-fabric floor. SDSU treats landscape fabric as a reusable alternative to single-use plastic. Drip featured prices stay on high-tunnel drip irrigation. Strawberry plastic-mulch ASINs stay on that crop page.

A durable alternative to plastic mulch is landscape fabric, which is permeable, may last longer than single-use plastic mulch depending on use, and is easy to install prior to planting flowers or vegetables.
Source: SDSU Extension — How to Prepare Landscape Fabric for In-row Weed Control for Flower and Vegetable Production (updated 5 June 2023; Lang / Barnes / Burrows).

Horticultural crops are produced more efficiently on raised beds with plastic mulch and drip irrigation. The exclusion of rain and the use of drip irrigation and mulches greatly reduces weeds and diseases.
Source: Penn State Extension — High Tunnel Production (updated 13 March 2023).

Decreased weed pressure: Because water is limited to the crop’s root zone, non-cropped areas, such as between rows and tunnel edges, do not receive water. This helps prevent weed growth and reduces the amount of labor needed for weed management.
Source: University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture — High Tunnel Production Guide for Arkansas and the Southeast (MP586).

On the other hand, some high tunnel growers may observe fewer weeds than when growing in the field, because the drip irrigation targets water to the rows only, allowing little weed growth in the aisles.
Source: University of Minnesota Extension — Annie Klodd, Growing high tunnel raspberries (reviewed 2022).

Weed mat is recommended. If plastic mulch or woven weed mat is used for tomatoes, it may be left in place and reused for flowers.
Source: Rudolph, Larson, Sheffield, Shepherd, Mark, and Gauthier — Rotating Cut Flowers Within a Tomato High Tunnel Production System (University of Kentucky Center for Crop Diversification CCD-FS-23).

At the end of the growing season, fabric can be removed and reused for the following year of planting if fabric remains intact.
Source: SDSU Extension — How to Prepare Landscape Fabric for In-row Weed Control for Flower and Vegetable Production (updated 5 June 2023; Lang / Barnes / Burrows).

Burn holes, then pin: SDSU install notes

SDSU is the land-grant page that names hole size, staple length, and staple spacing. Those figures stay labeled as SDSU sentences. This page does not invent a staple count for a 20×40 or 30×96.

One of the neat things about landscape fabric is that it is easy to create planting openings by burning holes into the fabric (Figure 1). Burning the fabric cauterizes the edges of the material and prevents fraying. Landscape fabric can be burned prior to planting, or burned when fabric is placed in the field. Many different tools can be used for burning holes into fabric, including blow torches, propane canisters with a trigger switch, or a mulch burner with a mounting base.
Source: SDSU Extension — How to Prepare Landscape Fabric for In-row Weed Control for Flower and Vegetable Production (updated 5 June 2023; Lang / Barnes / Burrows).

Holes that are two-to-three inches in diameter will keep weeds to a minimum but allow for ease of planting into the soil below the fabric.
Source: SDSU Extension — How to Prepare Landscape Fabric for In-row Weed Control for Flower and Vegetable Production (updated 5 June 2023; Lang / Barnes / Burrows).

Drip tape can be installed underneath the landscape fabric for seamless watering and use of a fertilizer injector, or a soaker hose can be applied directly to planting holes during or after planting. If installing drip tape, pre-burning landscape fabric holes will be the best option to prevent drip tape damage.
Source: SDSU Extension — How to Prepare Landscape Fabric for In-row Weed Control for Flower and Vegetable Production (updated 5 June 2023; Lang / Barnes / Burrows).

Fabric can be secured to the soil surface using metal sod or landscape staples that are at least six inches long. Fabric should be unrolled and pulled tight on either end to ensure that wind is not caught underneath the fabric before installing the staples. Landscape staples should be placed every two to three feet to provide security in strong wind events. Applying a few staples in the middle helps for extra wind protection and reduces the chances of the fabric “bubbling up” in the field.
Source: SDSU Extension — How to Prepare Landscape Fabric for In-row Weed Control for Flower and Vegetable Production (updated 5 June 2023; Lang / Barnes / Burrows).

Note that black landscape fabric can get hot mid-summer and may contribute to bolting or flowering of cool-season crops. Cool-season crops, such as lettuce, or cabbage, will have better growing conditions as a spring planting if landscape fabric is used.
Source: SDSU Extension — How to Prepare Landscape Fabric for In-row Weed Control for Flower and Vegetable Production (updated 5 June 2023; Lang / Barnes / Burrows). Cool-season crop notes stay qualitative — no invented soil °F.

A vegetation-free strip should be maintained around the outside of your high tunnel. This will reduce the chance of weed seeds entering your production area and reduce sources for diseases and insects. Removing or mowing the vegetation are both good options, as well as applying a mulch such as landscape fabric, around the house to suppress any weeds.
Source: West Virginia University Extension — An ounce of prevention is worth a lot in high tunnels (first published 6 May 2017). Outside the house, not a floor takeoff.

Johnny's mulch-hole burner (manufacturer, not Amazon)

Live manufacturer page 14 October 2026, about 03:15 UTC. SDSU names a mulch burner with a mounting base. Kit frames stay on manufacturer product pages. No invented affiliate tag.

Vendor / SKU	Displayed configuration	USD
Johnny's Selected Seeds — Mulch Hole Burner Starter KitManufacturer page. Copy: prevents fraying by cauterizing the edges of woven polypropylene mulches and landscape fabrics; attaches to locally-available 1-lb. propane cylinders (not included). SDSU names a mulch burner with a mounting base as one tool. Not an Amazon row. Not a kit.	SKU 7664 · torch + base + 2.4″ round die	$329

Source: Johnny's Selected Seeds — Mulch Hole Burner Starter Kit (SKU 7664; opened 14 October 2026).

Sourced Amazon ground-cover parts

Titles and featured one-time prices were copied from live amazon.com product pages 14 October 2026, about 03:15 UTC. Kit frames stay on manufacturer product pages. Fabric seam tape had no natural landscape-fabric listing with a confirmed featured price tonight and is omitted. A 404 mulch-puncher candidate (B0FKBNCKK9) was skipped.

Amazon Associate disclosure. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

Kind	Pack	Listing	ASIN	USD
Woven fabric	3′ × 100′	Agfabric 3x100 Ft Landscape Fabric Weed Barrier Ground Cover Garden Mats for Weeds Block in Raised Garden BedTitle states 3×100 ft, 3 oz polypropylene. Listing copy names greenhouse and vegetable-garden pathways. Pack size only — not a 30×96 takeoff. Seller ounce claim is not a land-grant rating.	B01B5HCFHM	$45.97
Woven fabric	4′ × 100′	Vanver 4ft x 100ft Weed Barrier Fabric, Heavy Duty Landscape Fabric \| 3.2oz Woven PP, Ground Cover for Gardens, Flower Beds & Yard LandscapingTitle states 4×100 ft, 3.2 oz woven PP. Seller ounce claim. Bed-width roll, not a house takeoff.	B0CTJCTG91	$31.99
Woven fabric	6′ × 100′	VEVOR Weed Barrier Landscape Fabric, 6*100FT Heavy Duty Garden Weed Fabric, Woven PP Weed Control FabricTitle states 6×100 ft, 3.2 oz woven PP. Wider aisle / edge roll. Seller ounce claim. Pack size only.	B0CQTBS3HQ	$36.90
Landscape staples	6″ · 200-pack	HOOPLE 6 Inch Garden Landscape Staples 200 Pack, 11 GaugeTitle states 6 inch, 200-pack. SDSU: metal sod or landscape staples at least six inches long, every two to three feet. Pack size only — not a 20×40 staple count.	B08C78BB9L	$18.99
Landscape staples	8 ga · 100-pack	ECOgardener Extra Heavy Duty Galvanized Weed Barrier Landscape Fabric Staples, 8 Gauge 100 PackTitle states 8 gauge, 100-pack, galvanized. Heavier wire than the 11-gauge HOOPLE pack. Pack size only. Auger hold-downs stay on the ground-anchors page.	B079S4TBXX	$78.05
Trigger-start torch	torch only	BERNZOMATIC Worthington 336737 WT2301 Trigger Start Propane Torch (2301 Torch)Title states WT2301 trigger-start propane torch. SDSU names propane canisters with a trigger switch as one hole-burning tool. This is a household torch — not Johnny’s mulch-hole burner with a die. Cylinder not included. Outdoor use only.	B004FPZACE	$21.98

EQIP pays for the structure, not the floor cover

Ground cover, woven fabric, staples, and hole burners sit outside the High Tunnel System Initiative payment unless your county office writes them in. Confirm with your NRCS district conservationist. Tunnel Spec does not invent a dollar.

Under the High Tunnel System Initiative, financial assistance is provided only for the structure itself. Electricity, venting systems, lighting, etc. can be installed providing the additions meets manufacturer’s designs and specifications. However, the grower is responsible for those costs.
Source: USDA NRCS High Tunnel System Initiative FAQ (Updated November 2024; Oregon-branded).

Producers can install heating, ventilation, or electrical systems at their own expense.
Source: USDA NRCS Pennsylvania — Seasonal High Tunnel System for Crops. One state office page, not a national fabric payment.

The practice does not include greenhouses or low tunnel systems.
Source: NRCS Conservation Practice Standard 325 High Tunnel System.

Rules vary; call your county NRCS office.

FAQ

Should I put landscape fabric on the floor of a high tunnel?: It depends on the crop and whether you are covering aisles or planting rows. UMN Extension (high-tunnel raspberries): landscape fabric is an efficient way to manage walking aisles; landscape fabric is not recommended in the raspberry rows because it significantly limits cane growth and plant yield; aisle options are landscape fabric, bare soil, or non-living plant-based mulches (straw, wood chips); do not use living cover crops between the rows. Cornell High Tunnels cut flowers: for weed control in the high tunnel, use black plastic mulch or landscape cloth. WVU: consider landscape fabric where rows or edges need to be kept covered in the long term. UAEX MP586: nutsedge can be a chronic problem even for growers using plastic or fabric mulches. This page does not invent a one-floor rule.
Woven landscape fabric vs plastic mulch vs bare soil?: Penn State Extension: horticultural crops are produced more efficiently on raised beds with plastic mulch and drip irrigation; the exclusion of rain and the use of drip irrigation and mulches greatly reduces weeds and diseases. UAEX: because drip water is limited to the crop root zone, non-cropped areas between rows and tunnel edges do not receive water, which helps prevent weed growth. SDSU: landscape fabric is a durable, permeable alternative to single-use plastic mulch and can be reused if it remains intact. UKY CCD-FS-23: weed mat is recommended; if plastic mulch or woven weed mat is used for tomatoes, it may be left in place and reused for flowers. UMN aisle options include fabric, bare soil, or straw/wood chips. Those are land-grant sentences — not a SKU mandate. Plastic-mulch featured prices stay on the strawberry page.
How do I cut planting holes in landscape fabric?: SDSU: it is easy to create planting openings by burning holes into the fabric; burning cauterizes the edges and prevents fraying; tools include blow torches, propane canisters with a trigger switch, or a mulch burner with a mounting base; holes two-to-three inches in diameter keep weeds to a minimum but allow planting; if drip tape is under the fabric, pre-burn holes to prevent drip-tape damage. Johnny's Mulch Hole Burner Starter Kit (SKU 7664, $329.00 tonight) is a manufacturer hole-burner with a 2.4-inch die. The Amazon Bernzomatic WT2301 is a trigger-start household torch — SDSU names that class of tool, not a die size. This page does not invent a hole count for a 20×40 or 30×96.
How do I pin or staple ground cover?: SDSU: secure fabric with metal sod or landscape staples that are at least six inches long; unroll and pull tight before stapling so wind is not caught underneath; place staples every two to three feet; a few staples in the middle help in wind and reduce bubbling. Pack sizes on this page are copied as printed — not a hoop-house staple takeoff. Screw-in / auger anchors for the frame stay on the ground-anchors page.
Will black landscape fabric overheat the soil or bolt lettuce?: SDSU: black landscape fabric can get hot mid-summer and may contribute to bolting or flowering of cool-season crops; lettuce or cabbage will have better growing conditions as a spring planting if landscape fabric is used. UMN: wood-chip mulch in raspberry rows increases the risk of saturated, cool soils and phytophthora — a different heat/moisture problem. Winter-lettuce frost cloth over the crop stays on that page. This page does not invent a °F soil-temperature drop.
Does EQIP pay for landscape fabric, staples, or a hole burner?: Tunnel Spec does not invent eligibility or dollars. The High Tunnel System Initiative FAQ says financial assistance is provided only for the structure itself, and that electricity, venting systems, lighting, etc. can be installed if they meet manufacturer designs — the grower is responsible for those costs. Ground cover, woven fabric, staples, and burners sit with those grower costs. The Pennsylvania seasonal high tunnel page says producers can install heating, ventilation, or electrical systems at their own expense. Confirm with your NRCS district conservationist. See what EQIP will not pay for.

Rules vary; call your county NRCS office. Tunnel Spec does not determine eligibility, payment rates, or inspection outcomes. Confirm ground cover with your NRCS district conservationist. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.