YES, OF COURSE I know about the more backbreaking ways to make a new bed, but lately I confess I’ve been relying more and more upon the magic of recyclables: newspaper and cardboard to be specific.
Where I used to double-dig and work in lots of compost before I began planting, now (assuming the underlying soil is fairly decent, neither bog nor wasteland) I simply layer on newspaper thickly, or spread out flattened corrugated cardboard boxes as the weed-smothering underlayment to my bed. I was reminded of this recently on the ever-so-useful blog by English newspaper editor and allotment gardener Jane Perrone. Someone asked Jane, a dedicated organic gardener like I am, about whether using cardboard as mulch like this was OK. Jane checked with Garden Organic, the 50-year-old UK organic-garden charity, and got the thumb’s up. Good thing for me; good thing for all of us who want to smother some more lawn this spring in favor of more diverse plantings, but need a little shortcut.
Welcome, Mary Lou. There is no precise formula and no particular rules; everyone does it a little differently.
I am confused with “winterize” — do you want to protect some perennial crop from damage? Or are you trying to prep ahead for next year?
If it’s to suppress the weeds, generally if it’s in the vegetable garden I prefer not to use paper products that may have inks on them, and I use straw a lot instead.
If you want to smother an area where you will grow food, I’d just keep that in mind — that coated (slick) and printed (especially colored inks) papers can contain unwanted ingredients (heavy metals). Plain, unprinted corrugated cardboard is probably a little safer; don’t use magazines or printed boxes (with labels etc.) at all.
More details, please, what your goal is? You can email awaytogarden [at] gmail if easier.
Hi I havea house in NW CT and inherited several beds that were grown over with weeds. Last fall, i tried to reclaim the beds. I covereredtheam with newspaper, cardboard and mulch. I expected this to breakdown to create new topsoil, especially with this winter
question: how do i get this to be plantable top soil for a flower garden.
Welcome, Lori. Depending on the kind of weeds (how tenacious) and how well the smothering is going so far (take a peek) you either just forge ahead and cut X’s in the paper/cardboard and plants through the holes, or wait until things are killed off after longer suffocation, so to speak. In lawn areas I have even planted right away…but there will be some grass that pokes through that will need weeding. With weeds with runners and so on, I am more inclined to wait longer.
The method doesn’t “create topsoil,” so to speak, but helps the desired plants have the advantage over the covered-up ones. The breaking down of the mulch (assuming it’s farily fine-textured and can break down, not some big bark chips or anything) is what eventually makes for crumblier soil underneath, but this takes time and repeat applications; not instant after the one fall/winter under the first layer of mulch.
Does that help?
Hello! Will the paper and cardboard method be useful in eliminationg honesycle after it is cut back?
Hi, Robert. No, the honeysuckle will regrow from the roots I fear, as will most woody shrubs and vines. You will probably have to cut it down multiple times and cut through the roots with a lopper or hand saw once it weakens and you can get at them.
i have mistakenl;y placed the colored part of newpapers with the ads etc as part of my mulch for vegetable garden. Is there a way to test my soil and find out whta problems this may do to ,my soil?
Hi, Leicester. You could do a full analysis and see if there are concentrations of metals (inks can have some metals in them sometimes). I get my soil test “kits” (a mailed and instructions) from my county or state cooperative extension by mail.
Margaret,
I live in the Pacific NW and want to start a new garden spot in a grassy pasture area. I am wondering if right now (during the rainy time of year) would be an appropriate time to use the cardboard method for clearing out the existing grasses before spring planting? There is currently some standing water in this area, due to all the rain and a somewhat clayey soil.
I am also wondering what is the best material to place over the top of cardboard, for a no-till planting in the spring?
Thanks,
Tree
Hi, Tree. You can start the smothering anytime…EXCEPT for the fact of all that water you describe. Not only will it be hard to prep now with water there, but a spot that has standing water in one season or another is only going to be appropriate for plants that can handle those conditions (wet-meadow plants, for instance; shrubs like buttonbush or winterberry holly and so on). “Wet feet” in winter is hard on many garden plants.
As for a mulch material, my faq page on what makes a good mulch is here.