GreenStake 100 ct. Contractor Grade 4-Inch Biodegradable Stakes - Eco-Friendly Sod Staples for Weed Fabric, Landscape Staples & Landscape Fabric, Netting, Gardening and Blanket

A humble stake can make or break a landscaping job. After using the GreenStake 4-inch biodegradable stakes across a few projects this season—weed fabric in raised beds, a straw erosion blanket on a clay slope, and a small turf panel in a dog run—I came away impressed by their holding power and ease of use, with some caveats around soil conditions and driving technique.

Design and build

These are rigid, U-shaped, 4-inch stakes molded from a biodegradable polymer. They feel dense in the hand—not flimsy—and the legs taper to a sharp point. The flat top lets you press with your palm, and the geometry of the legs gives a surprisingly tenacious bite in soil. They’re meant for temporary to semi-permanent installations: landscape fabric and weed barrier, netting, sod and erosion-control blankets, and light turf. The pack of 100 is a practical size for real jobs; it’s enough to do a couple of beds or a short slope without hoarding leftovers.

Because they’re biodegradable, they’re designed to be “set and forget”: once the fabric has done its job and vegetation or roots take over, you’re not left hunting for metal staples later. That’s a real advantage in turf areas, play spaces, or anywhere a leftover steel staple might be a hazard or get picked up by a mower.

Installation and holding power

In moist or average garden soil, these stakes were easy to install. On my weed fabric, I could usually push them in by hand with a steady, straight press. On the straw blanket over clay, I had best results with a slow twist-and-press motion that let the points work their way past small grit without deforming. In both cases, the hold was excellent: fabric laid flat, no fluttering edges, and no lift after a couple of gusty days.

On the dog run turf, the stakes kept the edges pinned even as the dogs paced and turned. I used a few more at the corners and seams and didn’t see any creep. The color blends in well enough that I didn’t notice them after backfilling and brushing the turf.

Where things get tricky is rocky or very compacted ground. These are rigid and only lightly forgiving. If you hit a buried stone and try to muscle them through with a heavy mallet, you can bend or fracture them. The better approach is to back out, reposition an inch or two, or pre-make a pilot with a thin screwdriver or spike. When I took my time, I had virtually no failures; when I got impatient on the slope and whacked a stubborn spot, I sacrificed a stake or two.

Tips to get clean installs

A few practical techniques made a big difference for me:

• Work in moist soil when you can. After a light rain or a quick hose-down, these drive in much easier.
• Use a twist-and-press motion. It reduces side loading and makes it less likely you’ll bend the legs.
• If you use a mallet, tap—not pound. Short, controlled strikes seat the stake without stressing it.
• Angle across seams. Set each stake at 30–45 degrees, alternating directions across fabric overlaps to lock them together.
• Pilot tough spots. A slim pry bar or long screwdriver saves stakes in compacted or rocky areas.
• Don’t overdrive. Once the head is flush and the fabric is taut, stop. Overdriving can lever the stake back out.

As for spacing, what worked for me:
- Edges: every 12–18 inches
- Seams: every 18–24 inches
- Field/interior: every 2–3 square feet
Windy sites and slopes benefit from tighter spacing. A 100-pack comfortably covered two 4×12 beds plus a handful of extras for a small slope.

Durability and biodegradation

In the ground, these feel as secure as comparable metal staples for light-to-moderate duty anchoring. I didn’t have any working loose on their own in typical soil once seated properly. The advantage, of course, is that you don’t have to come back and pull them. That said, “biodegradable” isn’t “disappear in a month.” These materials generally need time, moisture, and microbial activity. Expect a long fade-out—measured in seasons rather than weeks—so they remain useful through a full grow-in period for grass or a couple of planting cycles in beds. I wouldn’t toss them in a compost pile; they’re intended to break down in soil, not in high-heat compost or water systems.

If you’re after a truly permanent anchor or plan to reuse stakes, these aren’t the right pick. Think of them as one-time, job-duration fasteners that go away on their own timeline.

How they compare to metal staples

• Ease of use: In moderate soils, these are easier to push by hand, and the flat head is kinder on your palm. Metal staples require more hammering and deform more readily when they hit obstructions.
• Holding power: Similar in typical beds and under blankets. On very hard or stony ground, long steel staples (6-inch) can win by brute force.
• Safety and cleanup: Big win for the biodegradable option—no rusty wire lurking in turf, beds, or mower paths later.
• Cost: Pack-for-pack, pricing is competitive. Considering you won’t spend time retrieving and disposing of staples after a job, the value is strong.

Where they shine

• Weed fabric in garden beds where you plan to mulch over the top
• Erosion-control blankets on slopes during grass establishment
• Temporary sod installations where removal later would be impractical
• Synthetic turf edges in low-traffic or light-duty areas
• Netting for leaf control or seasonal beds

Where I’d choose something else

• Extremely rocky or compacted subgrade where you can’t easily reposition
• Frozen ground or very dry, baked clay without pre-wetting
• Heavy-duty geotextiles under driveways or paver bases where longer steel pins are standard
• Projects where you need to pull and reuse the fasteners

Value and packaging

A 100-count pack hits the sweet spot: enough to do a real project without committing to contractor bulk. For typical beds, you can plan roughly one stake per square foot along edges and seams, and half that in the interior. For a 10×10-foot area, 100 pieces is a reasonable starting point. The consistency of molding was good in my pack—clean points and flat tops, with no misshapen parts.

The bottom line

The GreenStake 4-inch biodegradable stakes earn a spot in my kit for most landscape fabric, netting, and light turf tasks. They’re quick to install, hold reliably in average soils, and spare you the cleanup and safety concerns of leftover metal staples down the road. They do demand a bit of finesse: take your time driving them, respect rocks, and use moisture to your advantage. If your site is a minefield of stones or you need brute-force penetration in compacted subgrade, go with longer steel staples and accept the retrieval chore later.

Recommendation: I recommend these stakes for gardeners, landscapers, and homeowners working in typical soils who value clean installs and low-maintenance removal. They’re especially good for temporary erosion control and sod establishment, where removal later is a hassle. If you routinely work in rocky or concrete-hard ground, or you need reusable hardware, choose a different fastener. For everyone else, these strike a smart balance of performance, convenience, and environmental common sense.