Have you ever thought about using cardboard to keep weeds away? It might seem simple, but it’s a great way to remove pesky weeds from your gardens.
Cardboard isn’t just for boxes; it’s great for fighting weeds that pop up on your lawns and flower beds.
If you want to get rid of weeds without any nasty chemicals, cardboard could be the answer.
While cardboard is natural, gardeners still need to be careful with how they use it.
With this in mind, gardening experts have shared how to use cardboard to banish weeds.
“When planning new garden beds, cardboard is key to weed control,” says John D. Thomas, the owner of Backyard Garden Geek.
Cardboard can help whether you’re thinking of new ways to stop weeds in your raised beds or if they’re popping up on your lawn, according to Homes and Gardens.
John explained that cardboard is thick enough to cover up weeds, but it’s not like other weed suppressants because it breaks down over time.
“It is thick enough to smother weeds, but unlike landscape fabric, it’ll rot over time,” he said.
This means your plants can get goodness from the ground later on, and beneficial bugs like worms can move into your garden beds.
Using cardboard to prevent weeds is really easy. Just get a big box and fill it with cardboard.
Next, put the box over the weeds you want to suppress and weigh it down with stones or bricks.
“Ensure that all sides of the cardboard are covered and that it does not come into direct contact with soil,” said Melody Estes, a landscape design gardening supervisor and consultant at The Project Girl.
However, she urged gardeners to be careful. “When using this technique, be sure to place the cardboard carefully so as not to disturb any other plants in your garden,” she warns.
The cardboard method works best if you use it in the early stages when weeds start to grow, like foxtails, for instance. It’s useful for getting rid of crabgrass.
