Cardboard then Mulch, ever done it? (grow, worms, corn, weeds)

[AliceT]

I have filled cardboard flats with soil and then planted pepper or tomato seeds in them. The roots never had trouble getting through the cardboard but the weeds seemed to not be able to push through. I thought I was just doing something silly and here you are doing something similar on a much larger scale! does that mean there might be hope for me?

[QwertyFarmer]

Originally Posted by GarlicGuy

beautiful farm land there

Thank you, for two girls from Los Angeles it is quite a change, but so awesome. We talk of grattitude to the experience we are having that each day brings something new, different, and hands on educational.

[QwertyFarmer]

Originally Posted by AliceT

I have filled cardboard flats with soil and then planted pepper or tomato seeds in them. The roots never had trouble getting through the cardboard but the weeds seemed to not be able to push through. I thought I was just doing something silly and here you are doing something similar on a much larger scale! does that mean there might be hope for me?

I have heard of people starting seeds in cardboard egg cartons. You keep on doing what your doing. I may try this method in the cold frames next year. I will be trying those for the first time too.

[Shagbark Hickory]

Originally Posted by QwertyFarmer

We will NEVER use any chemicals on our land

Are there any chemicals in the cardboard? Ink? Glue?

From what I hear, Corn gluten meal is used as an organic pre-emergent.

I am curious to know what effect the cardboard has on the soil temperature.

[Luvvarkansas]

I've made all my flower beds (right on top of grass) this way, except using newspaper instead of cardboard (4-5 layers, wet them down after laying). If I have any, I layer dead leaves and compost on top of the newspaper, then mulch with pine straw. When I go back to dig in them, the earthworms have had a field day, there are castings all over the place, and the dirt is usually nice and soft. I never till....too lazy, but there are some who say tilling is bad for the soil over time anyway. Good excuse!

I made a garden spot this way this year, but I have yet to plant anything in it....got busy! Going to plant some stuff when it cools off.

There is a lot of information on no-till gardening on the internet, especially Mother Earth News' web site. It is also called "lasagna gardening" (for searching purposes).

[QwertyFarmer]

Originally Posted by Luvvarkansas

I've made all my flower beds (right on top of grass) this way, except using newspaper instead of cardboard (4-5 layers, wet them down after laying). If I have any, I layer dead leaves and compost on top of the newspaper, then mulch with pine straw. When I go back to dig in them, the earthworms have had a field day, there are castings all over the place, and the dirt is usually nice and soft. I never till....too lazy, but there are some who say tilling is bad for the soil over time anyway. Good excuse!

I made a garden spot this way this year, but I have yet to plant anything in it....got busy! Going to plant some stuff when it cools off.

There is a lot of information on no-till gardening on the internet, especially Mother Earth News' web site. It is also called "lasagna gardening" (for searching purposes).

Thank you for the info.

Lol, cools off, we may have 30's by Monday, ouch. No wonder my peppers have been so slow and ill performing this year. I will start them earlier and either inside or the cold frames next year.

[no kudzu]

it's not expensive at all if you have cardboard you were going to haul to the recycling center anyway. I think it is a rather earth friendly way to kill two birds with one stone-get rid of cardboard and keep you weeds in check. I have always used newspapers for weed control too. guess I have to go around and ask coffee shops to save grinds for me as we don't drink the stuff. caffeine gives me the shakes- except coffee cake!

[mdvaden]

Originally Posted by no kudzu

it's not expensive at all if you have cardboard you were going to haul to the recycling center anyway. I think it is a rather earth friendly way to kill two birds with one stone-get rid of cardboard and keep you weeds in check. I have always used newspapers for weed control too. guess I have to go around and ask coffee shops to save grinds for me as we don't drink the stuff. caffeine gives me the shakes- except coffee cake!

Sheet mulching or lasagna gardening with cardboard or newspaper apparently is anti-sustainable for the economy and environment. Its not green living in other words.

I just wrote and uploaded a brand new web page on that topic last weekend.

Removing the paper from the recycling pool, actually wastes water in the thousands of gallons. The stats on oil and power use to make new cardboard instead of recycling was surprising. Basically, lasagna gardeners cause a big impact outside their properties, that is far greater than the minor benefit they gain since they still face weeding anyway. And the worms were already there, plus the cardboard or paper is just going to rot and once decomposed is irrelevant for any kind of nutrition.

Its not a practice I've ever done, but last week a thought came to mind about it, and my suspicions were confirmed.

[MrsMo]

We use newspaper. It has really cut down on time weeding the garden.

[paperhouse]

I don't do it to save the environment, but my back. Instead of tilling and digging soil, I use cardboard and newspaper to kill existing grass and weeds. I use shredded leaves as mulch every year after. I created two new beds this year using this method. So far, only wild onions have appeared in those beds. No other weeds, and wild onions are almost impossible to get rid of. Earthworms arrive in hordes when paper is placed under leaves. They break down the clay and eventually, all the leaves become a nice fluffy soil that anything grows in. Nature uses leaves as mulch and fertilizer. So do I.