Your 2025 Garden

[Sally PB]

Does anyone have experience with using cardboard as a weed barrier in the garden? I was thinking of using it in the walkways and between large plants, and covering it with a little mulch. I let my garden get a bit overridden with weeds last year when I was out of town for two weeks, and never truly caught up. Can't let that happen again!

So if you've used it, how was it?

It has worked well for me.

The pieces of cardboard I used were a bit small, so if they got uncovered enough they’d get blown around.

This is a concern. Use big sheets if you can get them, and if they have any curl, put them curl side down. I put leaves on top of them to help hold them in place.

In relation to the above, I had to sort of shingle the pieces to keep grass from poking through.

This, exactly.

Other things: Unless you get a heavy rain, it will take awhile for water to work down through to the soil. But once the cardboard does get wet, it will keep the soil moist.

I have also found that if I put cardboard and leaves on in the fall, I helps keep the spring weeds from getting started. However, it also keeps the soil from warming up.

 

[Nomadicus]

We are getting rain on all the new plants in the ground this morning. I had to water yesterday but with this rain I may not have to water now for several days unless it turns off hot. Upper 70's to mid 80's are on tap so rapid growth is expected now.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Need to go plant more see ya all later I guess.

 

[tripletfeb]

I transplanted the tomatoes into bigger pots. I also ordered new/more grow lights so hopefully this will be enough now

 

[R2elk]

We are getting rain on all the new plants in the ground this morning. I had to water yesterday but with this rain I may not have to water now for several days unless it turns off hot. Upper 70's to mid 80's are on tap so rapid growth is expected now.

168 posts until 30,000.

 

[Sally PB]

But you have to tell him what that's worth!

 

[R2elk]

But you have to tell him what that's worth!

Shhh!!!

 

[hnorth]

On the topic of the many uses of cardboard in a garden. I saw someone who uses a medium cardboard box to grow potatoes.

He simply fills the bottom of the box with about 3 inches of soil and throws in a handful of blood fish and bone meal and mixes it in then places two chitted spuds on the soil then fill the box up with soil.

This method is nice in that the bottom of the box breaks down and the roots reach down into the sub soil. Harvest is easy, as you can imagine. Rather than the back breaking toil of un- trenching the spuds with a fork, in the ground. And no need to "hill up" the soil around the plants.

 

[Nomadicus]

Well the sun is shining here today after it rained most all day yesterday. I'm going to see if I can prep a spot for tomatoes today. The plants are out growing their trays. Peppers need new socks too.

 

[HenriettaPizzaNolan]

It has worked well for me.

This is a concern. Use big sheets if you can get them, and if they have any curl, put them curl side down. I put leaves on top of them to help hold them in place.

This, exactly.

Other things: Unless you get a heavy rain, it will take awhile for water to work down through to the soil. But once the cardboard does get wet, it will keep the soil moist.

I have also found that if I put cardboard and leaves on in the fall, I helps keep the spring weeds from getting started. However, it also keeps the soil from warming up.

Thank you for this! I think I'll give it a shot this year. I appreciate the advice. Our neighbors said we can have the mulch from the tree in their yard they had chipped. I'll probably till the garden up, put down the big pieces of cardboard, and put that mulch over top.