I’m a new organic vegetable gardener having started two 3x3 raised beds last year. I lined the beds with a fabric liner, thinking this would help prevent pests and weeds in the soil, and used organic compost and fertilizers. This year I’m am creating 2 more beds and rethinking the liners. Here’s why. This spring I noticed tiny white bugs in one bed, and quite a lot of them. The bed is already planted with onions, garlic, beets, spinach, peas and oregano—and all are doing well. I panicked, did some Google searching, and are fairly sure they are harmless springtails – decomposers that are common when you use compost. But now I’m thinking they could easily reproduce and swarm my entire bed, with no way to escape due to the liners! So, does having liners disrupt the whole soil ecosystem and prevent nature from doing what its supposed to do to keep everything in check? Should I forego the liners in the new beds and just set them up over the existing mulched soil? If so, should i dig up the pine bark mulch first before filling with a soil/compost mix? Help! I need to set up my beds this weekend.