How far apart should landscape fabric staples be?

Space staples every 2 to 3 feet along the perimeter and along every overlapped seam, and every 3 to 4 feet across the open field of the fabric. On slopes, in windy sites, or under gravel that will be raked, tighten that to every 12 to 18 inches on edges and seams. Under mulch in a sheltered bed you can stretch the field spacing, but never the edges — fabric almost always starts lifting from an edge or a seam, not from the middle.

What is the best staple for landscape fabric?

Six inch heavy-gauge galvanized or powder-coated steel staples, roughly 11 gauge, are the reliable default in normal soil. Go to 8 to 12 inch staples in sandy or loose soil where a short staple simply pulls out, and consider spiral-shank or screw-in anchors on slopes and in high-wind sites. Plastic staples are cheap and are fine in soft loam under mulch, but they snap when driven into clay or stony ground and they lose grip as they age.

How much should landscape fabric overlap?

Overlap adjoining runs by at least 6 inches in beds and 12 inches under gravel or on slopes, always laying the upslope piece over the downslope piece so water sheds across the joint rather than under it. Staple through both layers along the seam every 12 to 24 inches. An unstapled seam is the single most common failure point, because weeds find the gap and gravel migrates through it.

Do you put landscape fabric down before or after edging?

Install the edging first, then run the fabric to the edging and tuck it against or slightly under the edge before backfilling. That gives you a clean, restrained perimeter with no exposed fabric to catch UV or a boot. If the edging is already in place, run the fabric up to it and pin every 18 inches along that line. Either way, the perimeter is where you spend your staples.

Will landscape fabric stay down without staples if I cover it with mulch?

Not reliably. Mulch weight holds the middle of a sheet, but wind gets under exposed edges, water running downhill lifts seams, and raking or blowing drags the fabric out of position over a season. The mulch also settles and thins, and by year two there are usually bare patches where the fabric shows and starts to lift. Staples cost a few cents each and are the difference between a bed that stays neat and one that needs redoing.

How to Secure Landscape Fabric (Staples, Spacing and Overlaps)

Written & researched by Elena Marsh Gardening & Landscaping Editor

Updated October 2026

Close-up detail of the material being worked in a landscaping & hardscaping project, in warm late-afternoon light

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Secure landscape fabric with 6 inch heavy-gauge steel staples driven every 2 to 3 feet around the perimeter and along every seam, and every 3 to 4 feet across the open field, overlapping adjoining runs by 6 to 12 inches with the upslope piece on top. Tighten to 12 to 18 inch spacing on slopes, in wind, and under gravel. Then bury or trap the perimeter under edging, mulch or gravel so no fabric edge is exposed. Expect to use 60 to 100 staples per 100 square feet in a typical bed, at roughly $0.10 to $0.25 each as of 2026.

Prepare the ground first — this decides everything

Fabric laid on lumpy, unprepared soil will never stay flat, and staples pulled into hollows tear. Do this properly and the rest is easy.

Clear all existing vegetation. Pull perennial weeds by the root. Fabric suppresses seedlings; it does not stop bindweed, quackgrass or nutsedge, which push straight through the weave.
Remove sharp debris. Rocks, roots and old stakes puncture fabric and lift it into ridges.
Rake the surface smooth and lightly firm it. A flat bed is the single biggest factor in how well fabric stays put.
Set the grade. Slope soil away from structures, and fix any low spot that ponds water now — you will not be able to reach it later.
Install edging first if you are using it. Fabric tucked against a set edge finishes far more neatly. See how to install landscape edging.

Golden-hour view of a person laying a stone paver into a sand base while building a garden path

Choosing staples and anchors

Anchor	Length	Best for	Notes
Steel U-staple, 11 gauge	6 in	Normal loam and clay	The default; galvanized lasts far longer
Steel U-staple, heavy	8–12 in	Sand, loose fill, slopes	Short staples pull out of sand
Spiral or screw-in anchor	6–10 in	Slopes, wind, erosion control	Holds several times a straight staple
Plastic staple or peg	6 in	Soft loam under mulch	Snaps in clay and stone, degrades in UV
Round-head anchor pin with washer	6–8 in	Woven fabric under gravel	The washer stops the pin pulling through
Rock or brick, temporarily	—	Holding sheets while you work	Never a permanent solution

Buy more staples than you think. Running short mid-job is how spacing quietly stretches to 6 feet and the whole installation ends up marginal. A 100 square foot bed with normal spacing wants around 60 to 100 staples; a gravel path with tight spacing can want twice that per unit area.

Laying and pinning, step by step

Roll the fabric out in the direction of the longest run, so you have as few seams as possible. Seams are the weak points.
Let it relax. Unroll it and leave it in the sun for 20 to 30 minutes on a warm day. Fabric that has been rolled tight holds a memory and lies far flatter once it has warmed and relaxed.
Pull it taut but not stretched. Drum-tight fabric shrinks and tears at the staples in cold weather. You want flat, with no ripples and no tension.
Staple the first long edge every 2 to 3 feet, working from one end to the other. Do not staple the far edge until the whole run is smoothed out.
Smooth across the width with a stiff broom or the back of a rake, working the ripples out toward the unstapled edge, then staple that edge.
Fill in the field. Staples every 3 to 4 feet across the open area, in a rough grid. Add extras anywhere the fabric wants to lift.
Drive staples at a slight angle, roughly 10 to 20 degrees off vertical, leaning away from the direction of expected pull. A straight-in staple is far easier to lift than a canted one.
Seat the crown flush with the fabric. Not proud, where it catches a rake, a mower or an ankle; not so deep that the crown tears through the weave. Push by hand where the soil allows, or tap with a rubber mallet — a steel hammer often bends the staple or drives it through.
Overlap seams properly. At least 6 inches in beds, 12 inches under gravel or on slopes, upslope piece laid over downslope. Staple through both layers every 12 to 24 inches along the whole seam.
Finish the perimeter. Either bury the edge in a shallow trench 3 to 4 inches deep and backfill, or tuck it against edging, or trap it under a paver or stone border. An exposed fabric edge degrades in UV and is what a boot or a mower catches first.
Cover within a day or two. UV is what kills landscape fabric. Two to three inches of mulch, or two to three inches of gravel over a woven fabric, protects it and does much of the holding-down work.

Slopes, wind and gravel

On slopes: run fabric across the slope, not up and down, and always lay upper sheets over lower ones so water sheds across the lap. Halve your staple spacing, use spiral anchors, and add a row of staples along the top of the slope to stop the whole sheet creeping down. Edging on a grade has its own rules — see installing edging on a slope.
In windy or exposed sites: cover as you go rather than laying the whole area and then mulching. A large sheet of unweighted fabric in a gust will lift, tear at the staples and take pins out of the ground.
Under gravel: use woven or heavy non-woven fabric rather than the thin spun stuff, tighten staple spacing to 18 inches everywhere, use pins with washers, and lap seams 12 inches. Gravel gets raked, walked on and shoveled, all of which drags fabric.
Around obstacles: cut in from the nearest edge rather than making an island cut in the middle, and add staples either side of every cut. Cutting around plants is covered in cutting landscape fabric around plants.

Mistakes that cause failure

Too few staples at the edges. Lifting almost always starts at a perimeter or a seam, never in the middle.
Unstapled seams. Weeds come through the gap and gravel migrates under the lap.
Stretching the fabric drum-tight. It contracts in cold and tears at every staple.
Laying downslope sheets over upslope ones. Water runs straight under the joint and erodes the base.
Leaving fabric exposed to sun. UV embrittles it. Cover within a couple of days.
Skipping weed removal. Perennial weeds push through fabric and lift it into ridges as they go.
Cheap plastic staples in clay. They snap on the way in and you end up with fewer anchors than you counted.
Hammering staples with a steel hammer. Bent staples and torn fabric. Rubber mallet or hand pressure.

Overhead view of a person laying a stone paver into a sand base while building a garden path, in warm late-afternoon light

What to expect over time

Well-secured fabric under mulch typically holds its position for 5 to 10 years, and under gravel considerably longer, though the fabric itself has a finite life and mulch decomposing on top eventually becomes a seedbed of its own. Whether fabric is even the right choice depends on the application — it earns its keep under gravel, paths and permanent plantings, and is far more debatable under mulch in a mixed bed. That trade-off is covered honestly in should you put landscape fabric under mulch, and the lifespan question in how long landscape fabric lasts. Fabric quality matters more than most people expect for how well it holds a staple — owners consistently rate woven and heavy needle-punched fabrics far above thin spun-bond, which tears at the pins within a season, and our landscape fabric picks reflect that.

Safety

Wear gloves and knee pads, and use eye protection when driving staples into stony ground where they can deflect. Watch your footing on slopes. Before driving anything into the ground, call 811 to have underground utilities located — it is free, it is required in most of the US before digging, and even a 6 inch staple can damage a shallow irrigation line, low-voltage lighting cable or invisible-fence wire. Do not drive staples near a known gas or electrical service without confirming depth. Steel staples left proud are a trip and puncture hazard, so seat every one flush and pick up any you remove.

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How to Secure Landscape Fabric