I made a garden bed using cardboard directly on the grass & weeds, the 6 inches of compost manure blend on top. I am in central SC and weeds and grass are issues with the amount of rain we get. I planted right in it and had no issues. Every year or two, it's best to add and inch or so of much, but i was a bit lazy. I pull out the few random weeds that come up but other than that, it worked perfect. The cardboard broke down in about 6 to 9 months. The flower bed is still goinf strong and beautiful and packed with flowers years later!
Thanks for sharing your experience. That's great information. Six inches of compost definitely kept it from drying out. Being in the hot and humid south cardboard decomposes pretty quickly.
Thanks for sharing, I think I'm going to give it a try, I'm getting a bit tired of stripping the sod away with a hand pick. This would require far less work.
Tape eventuality seems to come up to the surface in my garden after a year or two. It is no problem to pull it out and toss it. Much easier than pulling all of the tape off BEFORE using the cardboard as is usually recommended.
This is the way! I used to dutifully pull off all the tape and labels, but now I only bother if they're coated in the kind of thin plastic that becomes super brittle after exposure to the elements because that's a pain to pick up later but comes off the box with relative ease.
I use cardboard covered with wood chips to define the pathways in my garden. Some weeds get through, but not so many that I can't keep up with them. I do remove plastic tape, labels and even the paper tape that Amazon uses, because it does have nylon threads which won't break down. I also shred cardboard as bedding for my worms and I plan to use it in my compost as a carbon source.
Big word of caution when using cardboard, paper towels, etc. for worm food, according to a local organic farmer: bleach is still used in the paper pulping process, and you really don’t want to feed too much of that.
Three years ago we converted a large sprinkler-irrigated grass area along our driveway into a mulched area with drip-irrigated plants. First the grass was covered in chicken manure. Then, instead of cardboard, we used 4 rolls of that 3'-wide brown paper sold at the big box stores for protection from indoor remodeling and painting. It was *much* easier to apply, and more even, than cardboard would have been, especially at curved edges where it could be folded under to fit. Finally 4" of mulch covered the paper. Now we have beautiful dripped plants, and no weeds or grass have appeared.
@@jonicake58 I am guessing they have chickens and manure available but the chicken manure is for fertilizing the soil. BUT, it seems everything I've read is that chicken manure is hot and will burn tender new plants or seedlings.
It’s an absolute earthworm magnet in my area anywhere I use it, I’m NE TX zone 8, 50” annual rainfall, never experienced termites in any of my beds. I deep mulch with arborist chips and leaves.
Do you guys have the formosan termites out there? They are invasive to Alabama brought over from a lumber shipment to mobile harbor. They chew up anything that closely resembles wood
I used cardboard before I knew it was "a thing". My elderly neighbor hipped me to it. I place compost on top of the grass/weeds, cardboard, followed by a 4" - 6" layer of mulch. As for termites, I wouldn't sheet mulch if a bed is against my house. Termites got into a bed that was out by the road. They actually helped break down the cardboard faster! I thanked them! 😅😅😅
Just two very minor complaints. If you don't remove clear plastic tape from some cardboard, it is a nuisance when it pops up. And second, slugs gather under the cardboard so I won't use it near hostas. Conversely, this could be a good way to trap the little pests and get rid of them!
I start my plants indoors from seed - I use cardboard boxes as garden beds. When they are able to be moved outdoors, I place the entire box on the ground whether there is grass or bare dirt, use a pitchfork to poke holes in the bottom if needed and just let it go. Has saved my back and knees for years! 😁
I'm in temperate Zone 9, with around 60" of rain annually (NW England, UK). I've been using cardboard covered with 4" of my own compost for initial weed suppression for over a decade with excellent results. Cardboard is completely decomposed in 6-8 months. I also use shredded cardboard for carbon, especially grass clippings, as it's easy to mix the two together. I also use all the sawdust & shavings from my woodworking projects. I've been 'no till' for 7 years.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us. This is great information. I toured Kew 20ish years ago and a bunch of other gardens in England. I envy the passion for gardening in the UK.
I made friends with my shipping department at work. Every recycle day I get to fill my car with cardboard for the multiple projects we are working on in our yard. :)
Two years ago I had my garage taken down and the concrete floor broken up. I have been using a layer of cardboard then a layer of weed cloth topped with the concrete. This area is near my raised garden beds and will keep that area weed and work free, (that is my hope). I have been saving all my boxes for two years. So far this is really looking good. I will use sand and maybe a little soil between the concrete shapes to plant Hen and Chicks and creeping Thyme for fragrance as I walk. I always try to use everything that I cut down or take down, somewhere else on my property. Each tree that came down over the years, ground up and used as mulch. So everything that was here 47.5 years ago, is still here, in one form or another.
(Zone 6A SE PA). I am converting a 15' x 125' strip of grass to a perennial bed over the course of three years. I am in year two. This was a long-term project that has yielded favorable results. To do this I cut lawn at the closest setting. Before I laid the cardboard down I spent a significant amount of time removing any packing tape. Tape does not decompose well (polypropylene or polyethylene plastic), and I saw no reason to add it. Those pieces I did miss are intact after a year. I usually did an area of 15 x 20 feet at a time. That's a lot of cardboard and I was limited by how much I could collect from donations from friends and what I could scrounge from worksites. I laid it down overlapping the cardboard by several inches. I used hardwood mulch that was not dyed. I added about a 4-6 inch layer. Last year I completed an area about 15 x 100. I finished that by about July and let it sit undisturbed until this spring when I began planting transplants. The cardboard had not rotted away but was sufficiently rotted to cut through with a trowel. The remainder of the 15 x 50 I finished off by July and it will also sit until next spring before planting. Take aways: Very satisfied. Be patient. I have experienced no grass coming through. A few weeds will germinate within the mulch but are easy to pull.
Very informative and excellent video, thank you. Also, great info and comments from the other viewers. I feel more positive and comfortable about using cardboard in my yard.
I pull all tape off before putting down cardboard. I live in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. I have soil that tends to have some clay to some areas where there is lots of clay. I have created three beds so far using this method with great success. Two beds are three years old. Inexpensive bed a year old. All doing great. I try to plant ground covers to help with weed growth. I do not get grass coming up from below. Which amazes me because sure I have Bermuda. I do get weeds here and there that grown on top and are very easy to pull out. I am currently getting ready to create two more beds using the same method. This method changed my life. Made it possible to create a beautiful garden.
This video's just what I needed! I shop online, so I have LOTS of cardboard. I also have a bed with hostas in it but has been taken over by weeds. Knowing how to use my cardboard to reclaim my flower bed is going to make what I dreaded would be a monumental job easy. (I'm now a subscriber.)
The cardboard is an initial weed suppressant but eventually, about a year, it breaks down and is gone. That is when you need to figure out what mulches or other ground covers you are going to use to stop the weeds. BUT, if you have lots of weeds, the cardboard topped with mulch will kill it.
June of 2023 I took out a corner of my property about 35 feet both directions from the corner. It took a lot of cardboard. I topped with compost, planted a bunch of plants by digging circles in the cardboard etc. then topped with mulch. A year later, the cardboard is gone and everything I planted this past spring 2024 is sitting in fabulous weed free soil. I did the same thing with two 4 x 16 beds by the porch. I do rip all the tape off and try to get my cardboard from he furniture stores so the pieces are big. The only grass I pull up is the edge where I begin the beds which also creates a good border. I do get weeds that I am assuming comes in with the wind or bird drippings, but using the cardboard instead of cutting out all that grass is a no brainer. Yesterday I dug another bed to take out a corner and make it easier for mowing but I am a firm believer in cardboard in case you couldn't tell!
I’ve used cardboard in the garden for decades. Works very well, better on sandy soil than on heavy clay but worked well in both southern Ontario and Nova Scotia where it rains every few days. Breaks down in about a year in Nova Scotia because of the amount of rain. Hasn’t seemed to affect plant/shrub/tree health in any garden location. Place stones over cardboard as mulch because the constant strong winds here in Nova Scotia blow mulch away. Effective at reducing weeds which are plentiful here because of the winds and people don’t maintain their properties well at all.
This is great information and seems consistent with the peer review data I have looked at. In moist environments with sandy soils it seems to be beneficial. Thank you for taking time to share your experience.
Excellent video! Have considered trying cardboard for a while, so I've got a bank of boxes stored up to test with in an herb garden I have in mind for my farm here. 16 acres of row crops and peach, pear and plum orchards. I wore a halo for 8 months before I graduated to a boot. An amazing journey. . . Bless you Brother.
Thanks for watching and for the kind words. 16 acres!!! It sounds like an impressive operation you have going on. I tore my Achilles training for a marathon last winter. I got out of the boot back in May, out of PT 3 weeks ago, and I am on a "return to running" program that consist of different combinations of walking/running. Baby steps but headed in the right direction.
Zone 6a in Northwest Indiana. I neglected a back garden for years. This Summer I cleared all the top-growth down to bare dirt. I am eager to put down shredded wood mulch, but I still have too many stumps to dig out from volunteer trees. Plus I have long ropes of inch thick wisteria root that is sprawling across the surface of the ground. Without a doubt there is a multitude of seed and root from all the weeds still lurking in the soil. I expect the weeds will soon return with a vengeance. Based on this video and the comments, it seems my next wisest move would be a layer of cardboard on as much soil as possible. That will discourage the resurgence of weed while I'm digging out the larger root systems. Shifting cardboard about will be easier than dealing with mulch when I need to grade the soil after all the excavations. When all the soil finally is prepared for mulch, I intend to use cardboard at least along the pathways. I scavenged a large roll of landscape fabric I can use in the planting beds. I would like to add that my best friend in all this toil is my reciprocating saw. It has a pruning blade that can cut through a 4 inch trunk without breaking a sweat. Best of all, that long sawblade can be used to cut through root growth without damage to the saw. You can't do that with a chain saw without ruining the saw blades. The only downside is that a reciprocating saw vibrates so holding it steady becomes tiring for an age 70 woman who does not have much muscle. That is a minor disadvantage in light of the benefits. I took down two truckloads of brush with that saw. The city brought a front loader to scoop up those foliage mountains. My region has a vendor that specializes in mulch. Look for one in your area. They deliver or allow pickup by the truckload. They offer mulch from hardwood, softwood, chipper scrap, fragrant woods, and quite a selection of colored mulches. My initial layer will be the least expensive and lowest grade available. I will splurge a little more on the top dressing.
Been looking to extend some island flower beds but have been putting it off because of not wanting to do the digging out part. I guess now I can move forward with this info! Thanks!
I like the idea of cardboard covered with wood chips in the walk lanes. I may give it a try this fall if I have the time. Weeds in the walk lanes not that big an issue this year, but oh well. I've used cardboard in the perimeter flower bed that surrounds the main garden. Perimeter @ 88 feet, a work in progress due to crab grass intrusion. Any way, have used cardboard over grass to start off new beds. Works okay if you pile enough compost and soil on top of it. Saves from having to dig up the grass that's firmly rooted in place and keeps the soil profile undisturbed.
In Idaho zone 7b I have used cardboard for the last three years. This past week my husband and I put cardboard over existing weeds. Then we brought in 8 inches of compost. In the walkways we put down thick wood chips that were dropped off by an arborist. This is how I’ve built all my vegetables beds. It’s cheap and very effective. While you still need to be vigilant regarding weeds it is a far cry from what a person normally deals with.
Really like the science and practical mix. Great balanced video. It's too late for me and the termites. Oh well, they were well fed😂 I put it in the bottom of my raised beds. I like how you addressed the ink question.
Thank you for watching and leaving a comment! One thing earning my PhD taught me is to try to take my personal opinion out of situations and look at the data. Also, to be willing to change my mind based on new data. It's easier said than done. Confirmation bias of personal experience and opinions is hard to break. I try to apply a balance of science and practicality when I film.
you forgot worms... when i put carboard down in my garden it attracts a ton of worms, both red wrigglers and nightcrawlers... they literally eat the carboard and leave and leave behind lots of good casings, plus they aerate the area nicely, also a bonus
I an converting a 400m2 verge from couch grass to natives. Have covered it all with cardbrd and mulch. The couch came thru...eventually. Best method...cut grass and water in a liquid fertilizer. Cover with cardbrd and THICK layer of mulch. Green mulch is the BEST. Works really well.
I quit using cardboard, as it wasn’t really that good but, my cardboard was moldy when I replaced my mulch. Mold scared me so, no more cardboard use for me!
Here comes my funny story 😁 I´m new to gardening and try my best to learn. So I live in pour soil conditions on top of a bare hill. Great view, wind and weeds 😀 I wanted to improve my soil and put some small mulch to desolve faster. Under it I put cardboard to supress the weeds. The wind blew away my mulch and the ugly cardboard appeared under. 😂 Now I´m taking it of and will put some heavy big piece mulch on top. Just a newbie problems...
It happens to everyone. I've been in the green industry my entire career and I am still learning new things. Enjoy the process of learning and getting better.
I use cardboard throughout my whole garden. Small box’s get ripped up and added to worm bin. Out side use I always do to layers with mulch on top of that. In zone 4B cardboard last 1-2 year depending on winter in my zone.
We filled two very weeded areas with cardboard. 7 months later weeds only in spaced where I think we left gaps. I think we we double the layers of cardboard next time.
I don't compost grass if its seedings. I did that once, had grass coming up in my compost and wherever I use my compost. Thing with some cardboard I found out that some won't completely compost down into soil. The cardboard that didn't compost completely became hard and nonbendable. I had to remove its from my compost container. None of the bug,worm, and organisms didn't want to touch it. Like pizza boxes that I compost ones. Composted completely down into soil in no time. Toilets paper rolls take longer to compost down,
I’ve used cardboard to block nasty weeds and it works great! If it’s in contact with the dirt it breaks down quickly so you’ll need to replace it eventually.
I use cardboard in multiple usage places. I have 3 types of compost piles that I turn about once a month. One with cardboard, mulched leaves and pinestraw placed on top of a hard layer of plastic. No watering except for nature. This has become my worm compost and makes great soil replenishment. The other 2 piles are of just leaves and grass clippings with soil that has no composition (came from holes I dug for burn pits 6 feet deep) the third is my "wet" compost from the yardwaste and kitchen scraps along with the coffee grounds. This is my amendment soil at the beginning of each year (I pick out the worms). Another use for cardboard is between the rows of my corn bed for weed suppression, this works great as long as I leave an 18 inch diameter of soil clear for the roots. I cover with just raked leaf mulch and water every 2 days. At the end of season I pick up cardboard and leave mulch. Cover with a tarp for the winter. I then take the rather worn down cardboard and place it in "Pile 1". I find many worms underneath and suspect that is where my worms come to "PIle 1". The last place I use cardboard is the walkways between my raised beds which i then also cover with weed cloth barrier and pin it down. About every 2 years I have to replace the cardboard but the weeds in my beds are absolutely only windborne and easy to maintain. Beds are 24 inches high.
What about all the chemicals used at the papermills where they make the cardboard? Has anyone tested the cardboard to find what remains? I would not want to grow food in cardboard-amended soil.
Great explanation ., Thank you for educating. So, i use lot of the empty CardBoards to fill my ladscape, Simply because the developer of the property stamped lot of construction debri into the soil .I just dont like to grow plants in that soil, so For the past few yrs i dug out about 2 foot down and cleared the soil and use CARDBOARDS, & tree clippings to fill it up., Its lot of work but from what i see it is reviving the soil and I see my plants are thriving, though it takes long time to fill up the space. But its a good alternative I thought. I dont want to bring in external soil , i just want to have a NATURAL soil in my yard ..
I have two weeks off between the end of the spring semester and before I have to return to teach summer semester. My goal is to make a video a day and try to stick to single topic videos like this. I probably won't post a video everyday but I will save them for release periodically throughout the summer.
I just used cardboard today. We dug up sod/grass and then laid down cardboard. Added river rock on top of cardboard to hold it in place. We have 3 new bushes planted (2 years old) in the midst of this and left about one foot perimeter around each. It was hard to get around to mow so we are trying this. I hope it keeps the grass/weeds out of this area. Normally I use large black lawn bags but thought this was a cheaper method.
I have known people to use old wornout woollen carpet on their garden to get rid of weeds etc. Wool being a natural fibre would also add nutrients to the soil as it breaks down. Happy gardening, from Tasmania, 🇦🇺 Australia.
As I understand it, you should always remove the labels that are printed with a thermal printer, they contain BPA. And what about the clear tape often used in packaging? I always remove that too.
We use the cardboard to kill the plants underneath (usually to expand the garden or create a path), to deter weeds, and to retain moisture. It works great for all these. For gardening, we normally put old straw on top of it; some plants get planted directly in the straw and for others we will cut a hole in the cardboard to be able to place the plant in the ground. One year I planted directly in cardboard boxes...the only issue I had with that was I had the boxes in places I didn't want the soil to be; by the time I went to move the boxes, the bottoms had decomposed so I had quite a bit of work to dig out the soil; however, the plants themselves did fine. Come to think of it, this may be a great way to try growing potatoes next year. Oh, I have also used cardboard to line open IBC container frames to keep in sticks, leaves, and straw. It works but didn't retain water as well as I wanted because the cardboard was only on the sides, not the bottom, of the container.
Great video…I was considering cardboard until you said termites, I live in Florida and termites are a problem. I have a termite specialist spraying to keep them out, so I don’t want to do anything to feed or attract them…thx so much for sharing!!!
Yes! Florida has the invasive formosan termites. 50-100ft away from the house probably nothing to worry about. On flower beds around the foundation of the house I would not do it.
Also, I noticed your picture. I think the Phillies have a good chance to win it all. I'm a braves fan and the injury bug has bitten us big time this year. If the Phillies can get hot they are going to be tough to eliminate.
I remove all plastic from the cardboard, tape, labels, nylon filaments etc. And use only plain cardboard, no shiny coatings and very minimal coloration. Our potter's clay soil has improved in texture where cardboard is used with an overlayment of pine straw or pine shaving horse bedding. Areas are periodically allowed to go fallow with native 'weeds' like dandelions, asters etc. and rye and clovers.
@@Dr.Warren it's slowly getting there. In Elementary School some 70 years ago, we learned of the prairie soil that, when Europeans first arrived was as black as night and from 6' to 15' deep😲. Of the lily worm, now extinct🥺, a native earthworm that grew to 15' in length and smelled like Easter lilies. Of the loss through greedy mismanagement that made it into the Great Dustbowl.😱 It can never recover completely, but my journey to stewardship began that day.
@@thisbushnell2012 same here. There is a place in Georgia called Providence canyon and it was created by the mismanagement of soils. It really dialed me into soil preservation. It is the most valuable resource we have.
The hydrophobic properties of dry cardboard isn't an issue. The water will run off the side of the cardboard and soak into the ground. The cardboard then prevents that water from evaporating away. Noone has ever claimed that cardboard has an NPK value. It's the best thing for your soil because it's 90% carbon. When carbon is colonized by fungi and bacteria it's broken down into humus. Soil thats high in carbon has a high cation exchange capacity, which means that the chemical charge of the soil prevents nutrients from washing away. The feedback, between these properties becomes a virtuous cycle. More nutrients, more growth, more soil microbes etc.
For 15-25$ you can get contract paper made from recycled paper. it can be used in the garden too. I find it easier to use because if you have curves, its easy to cut to bed shape. it does the same as cardboard and is very cheap. most are 3x100 or 3x150 or more in length. I tried cardboard in the vegetable garden which does good but trying to overlap them so weeds/grass don't get though takes a lot of boxes. I get small amazon boxes not enough big ones. contract paper can easily overlap. Also I dont know what other business sprayed on the box.
Might be an obvious thing, but also good to mention if using those big heavy-duty cardboard boxes with the big metal staples in them - take out the staples before using in the garden. Don't want to be stepping on those with bare feet.
I have used a row of pavers to remove turf. Cardboard would have been unsightly in locations where curb appeal matters. Place the row on top of the grass along one edge of your intended planting bed. When that turf is dead, move the pavers to kill off the adjacent strip of lawn. Add mulch to the exposed dirt as your planting bed continues to expand.
Prior to moving into our current home, the landscape fabric has grass/weeds growing through it. Surrounding our bushes/trees is river rock on top. My question is do you recommend opening a cardboard box up allowing it to be double layered or is one layer (box fully open) sufficient as well. I’d like to cover up the grass/weeds with cardboard and add newer rock on top of the existing rock. The grass/weeds just make the landscape river rock look terrible. Also we also live in South Alabama. Thanks.
Either way would work. Double would last a little longer. Being in South Alabama I wouldn't put it close to the house. You guys have the formosan termites and they will be attracted to cardboard.
Well, dang. This year’s vegetable garden, first time ever with limited use of cardboard. I did create lots of fine perforations with a pitchfork and then covered with grass clippings. We’ll see how it goes but even this month’s issue of Mother Earth News has some warning about forever chemicals in some cardboard. Like I already said….DANG.
I wouldn't stress too much over it. Nothing is perfect and probably never will be. Keep doing what you think is right and learn from it regardless if the outcome is positive or negative. Just apply new knowledge and keep moving forward.
Hi, I like your channel. I live in central Florida. Could adding termite bug killer between cardboards layers solve the termite problem you mentioned here? Thanks.
I am curious why you only mentioned termites as bugs that are attracted to the cool wet environment created by the cardboard. The cardboard will take a long time to degrade alone but a lot of composting bugs will eat it such as worms, pillbugs, and earwigs. It's a 2 for 1 benefit because if they eat the cardboard they will be less likely to eat your plants. I have a worm bin and I add a big square piece occasionally to the top to help retain moisture and insulate it when the temps are high and the worms will always climb up to the top and surround it top and bottom to munch on it, it doesn't take them very long to work through it.
I used it on the bottom of my raised beds to help with moisture retention. I’m in zone 10B close to the Caloosahatche river (quite a few southeastern moles) I was hoping it could possibly slow them down from getting to the roots?
@@Dr.Warren I have 😁 on Sanibel under a still home with 2 cubs. It was incredible. The island has denied having them. I hadn’t thought about it; I hope they made it through Ian
I am wrong that the plastic tape used on most boxes, other the Amazon boxes, would become micro plastics over time. I also seem to remember that those micro plastics can eventually be take up and into the plant tissue. Am I wrong on this?
I am in Zone 7 and in a Master Gardener Program. Our program `build a good size gardening area about 100' x 100" and covered it was cardboard, then wood chips. We then built raised beds. The ground was covered with wire grass. It took about a year before the cardboard decomposed and once again the wire grass started growing. Some of the cardboard was corrugated and I was concerned about the glue. After doing some research I found that the glue, like the ink is safe. White paper such as print paper, coffee filters toilet paper, tissue paper etc. contains dioxin which is classified as a carcinogen by the FDA yet who also says it contains small amounts in coffee filters, is safe and decomposes. Can you trust the FDA? I'll let you decide.
I need to read up on dioxin. I do know off the top of my head they are a group that consists of dozens of not hundreds of chemicals. Perhaps some are more toxic than others? And at what levels are they considered safe? I'm not sure and would need to pull the peer review to have a better understanding.
@@Dr.Warren There is little or no research on some obscure topics. If there are any studies they usually are very small. I use white coffee filters to make coffee because i cannot find the brown ones any longer. As I drink the coffee I wonder if I am drinking tiny amounts of some chemical used to bleach the paper which the FDA says is safe.
I wanted to use cardboard around my fire pit and leave the decorative rocks on top instead of soil or mulch. Is this better? Would the card board last longer? I live in Tampa, fl. Soil is dry like sand. Weeds especially these last couple of weeks of rain have gotten out of control. Weed killer that I have used in the past doesn't do the job. I have expensive thicker weed barrier there now with rocks on top. Drowning in weeds😁 Thank you!
I was in Tampa back in October. Such a beautiful city. My main concern would be an ember leaving the fire pit and catching the cardboard on fire. It would work but I would put a thick layer of rocks on top of the cardboard. Also you have formosan termites that far south. They will eat up cardboard fast if they find it
Perhaps? My thoughts are if you are lowering oxygen exchange with the soil maybe to the point it suffocates the grubs? I need to read up on this for sure.
I’m confused about the tape. He’s referring to paper tape, right? But boxes that have the clear packing tape would be different and presumably take a lot longer to decompose?
I used cardboard as a weed block under woodchip mulch in the aisles around my raised bed. FAIL! Clover and other weeds grew anyway. I also used it as a weed barrier in a small flower bed. Didn't bother the alyssum or carpathian harebells, but didn't stop the clover here either. FAIL. By the way we have red clay soil here in NJ 7a.
Very helpful video! May I ask you what you think about using a rug made of natural fibers (like wool), the same way you would use cardboard? I'm considering recycling an old carpet in my yard where i have a particularly tough time with persistent weeds. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this!
Susie, this is an interesting concept to think about and this is off the top of my head and not peer review. I would think it would work with the added benefit of acting as an insect repellent. It would also decompose much slower than cardboard so you get more use out of it. What I do not know is if there is any dye, glue, etc. used in rug making would be detrimental to your plants.
I have been happy using cardboard for many years. I understand one of the more recent concerns is with the glue used in making it. Do you have any research about the glue?
@@Dr.Warren There's been so much click-bait about this, and hand-wringing. Some say to just use wood chips, but I know well you need least a foot of them, and after they break down, you need to keep adding more. The cardboard gives you much more weed-free time! I'd love to hear about the glue!
Hi! I am renting a place with a small front yard. It is full of weeds and the grass is on its last leg. It takes a considerable amount of water to keep the little grass that's left green. Oh, and there is no sprinkler system! I am considering mulching the yard and strategically using a few drought-resistant plants to make it pretty (maybe some stepping stones too). I live in the central Utah desert. It is HOT, but we also get snow in the winter. Would you recommend using cardboard under the mulch as a solution for the next 2 years, or would you recommend I use the weed fabric instead? Thanks! Glad I found your channel! @Dr.Warren
So weed fabric will pretty much do the same thing as cardboard but will let the water filtrate to the soil better. Being in the desert and trying to conserve water I would lean fabric. But fabric eventually breaks down too.
You give info on cardboard decomposition in SW & SE USA. What about states and land area along the USA-Canada border such as Minnesota & N. Dakota. Basically in areas with winter temperatures that drop to -30 F. & have snowfall as high as 3-4 ft which last for at least 3-4 months, with shorter days of sunshine, as little as 4 hrs in January. How long would decomposition take there?
I would be under the assumption that during the Winter decomposition is halted that far north and resumes during the Spring thaw. So it would take longer to break down.
I wish my cardboard lasted 6 months.....if i put it down in the late fall when we are beyond our rainy season i might get 6 months, but if i put it down in the spring or summer, if i disturb it to plant something it disintegrates into nothing then all the weeds pop through within a week. I love it for starting a bed but the weeds are coming through it sooner than later in sw florida.
@Dr.Warren uncomfortably hot and humid....I call it perpetual summer. My soil should be more acidic....most of my neighbors have acidic soil, mine tends to be quite alkaline....our community was tomato fields, and I'm convinced my lot was the spot for storing equipment or machinery. It's a constant struggle fighting chlorosis....but I have a few fabulous spots that never need amendments. We all have our share of issues as gardeners so it's all good!
What’s the most inexpensive “mulch” to use for a large area. My son is lazy…his front yard is full of weeds. My husband (73) goes over and whacks it down and tries weed killer but I’m embarrassed to have anyone see me walk into his house! I suggested he at least do this - cardboard and mulch - but he complains the mulch is too expensive (it would take a lot and ya, bags of mulch are not cheap). Any other ideas?
I can get an entire pickup load of pine bark at a local lumber yard for $60. It's 1.25 cubic yards and goes a long ways. The individual bags get pricey. See if you have a local wood product/lumber yard and buy it in bulk for cheap.
In Colorado, we have “chip drops”…. Local tree guys have loads of shredded trees they’ve cut down and ground up. Rather than paying to take it to the dump, they offer it to anyone who wants a “chip drop”. I had 10 yds delivered 5 days after I put in my info. There are only a few downsides: day and time of delivery are unknown till that morning. Amount is anywhere from 5-15 yards of mulch- you must take what they have in truck. They will dump the chipped mulch in your driveway or where you clearly mark your yard. I loved the service and 10 yards of free mulch to cover my cardboard!
Can you use cardboard next to trees like Holles and Loquats on clay soil? Worried that my trees my get impacted by putting cardboard down next to them and my shrubs/yuccas. But I also want to kill the grass/weeds around them in the mulch beds
Wìĺ nutrients from compost get through to plants? I am considering putting cardboard on an existing flowerbed of rugosa roses and lavender. I'm in victoria bc. Thank you
That's a great question. Cardboard allows water to run through it so I would think dissolved nutrients would be carried with the water and not bind to cardboard. However I do not have any peer review to suggest my thoughts are correct.
Be sure to use plain brown cardboard and not glossy cardboard (like a television comes in). The glossy cardboard takes so much longer to decompose and may have a plastic layer in it.
I've successfully used cardboard as part of lasagna bedding to kill lawn and create new flower beds. While paper-based tape (modern Amazon packaging) decomposes fine, remove any plastic based tape (clear packing tape) as that does not break down in any reasonable timeframe.
Coastal California here. I'm on a sand dune, but still, we've had drought of near drought for more than a decade. About decomposition then? Without rain, 8 or 9 months out of the year, the cardboard may take up to three years to fully decompose. I certainly don't turn the hose on the cardboard. Water's very expensive and precious. The problem then, when it is half decomposed, it's very unsightly. You either want to take it up and dispose of it somehow, or you will want to put down fresh. Also not a whole lot of fun. On the whole, I use it liberally because we have some very invasive weeds here, coming from all over the world. The biggest problem is Veldt Grass, coming from S. Africa. You don't want to know how prodigious this grass is. I don't use straw over the cardboard because I just don't like the look of it or the ecosystem it creates. If I have leaves, I'll use those.
Remove tape, don’t use cardboard that has a covering and it decomposes quickly. Gas exchange isn’t an issue. Weed suppression is the main purpose. Kills grass effectively. Eliminates need to dig up area when covered with mulch.
I tried to find out what chemicals were in cardboard and didn't find any information. Sites stated that it's cardboard and it is safe. ok How about the paper that makes up the cardboard and the glue, maybe a water repellent? Yup, chemicals for making the paper, but no information on what they are. I decided not to use.
I made a garden bed using cardboard directly on the grass & weeds, the 6 inches of compost manure blend on top. I am in central SC and weeds and grass are issues with the amount of rain we get. I planted right in it and had no issues. Every year or two, it's best to add and inch or so of much, but i was a bit lazy. I pull out the few random weeds that come up but other than that, it worked perfect. The cardboard broke down in about 6 to 9 months. The flower bed is still goinf strong and beautiful and packed with flowers years later!
Thanks for sharing your experience. That's great information. Six inches of compost definitely kept it from drying out. Being in the hot and humid south cardboard decomposes pretty quickly.
Thanks for sharing, I think I'm going to give it a try, I'm getting a bit tired of stripping the sod away with a hand pick. This would require far less work.
Can you plant right away through it? Do you just kind of cut a hole through the cardboard?
Yes! We did exactly the same in our yard. No weeds, it’s been 3 years and no weeds.🎉
@@jillmoser5077 yep
Tape eventuality seems to come up to the surface in my garden after a year or two. It is no problem to pull it out and toss it. Much easier than pulling all of the tape off BEFORE using the cardboard as is usually recommended.
That is good information. Thanks for sharing
This is the way! I used to dutifully pull off all the tape and labels, but now I only bother if they're coated in the kind of thin plastic that becomes super brittle after exposure to the elements because that's a pain to pick up later but comes off the box with relative ease.
You have saved me
Yes and it prevents microplastics in your vegetables
I had termites move into the cardboard. Never again. Never had or even saw termites before. Positive ID.
I use cardboard covered with wood chips to define the pathways in my garden. Some weeds get through, but not so many that I can't keep up with them. I do remove plastic tape, labels and even the paper tape that Amazon uses, because it does have nylon threads which won't break down. I also shred cardboard as bedding for my worms and I plan to use it in my compost as a carbon source.
Thanks for sharing. I am still learning about all the uses of cardboard myself and you taught me something. Thanks you!
Big word of caution when using cardboard, paper towels, etc. for worm food, according to a local organic farmer: bleach is still used in the paper pulping process, and you really don’t want to feed too much of that.
Three years ago we converted a large sprinkler-irrigated grass area along our driveway into a mulched area with drip-irrigated plants. First the grass was covered in chicken manure. Then, instead of cardboard, we used 4 rolls of that 3'-wide brown paper sold at the big box stores for protection from indoor remodeling and painting. It was *much* easier to apply, and more even, than cardboard would have been, especially at curved edges where it could be folded under to fit. Finally 4" of mulch covered the paper.
Now we have beautiful dripped plants, and no weeds or grass have appeared.
Great information. Thanks for sharing
What is the purpose of the chicken manure? Does it help kill the grass? I have Bermuda.
Great job!
@@jonicake58 I am guessing they have chickens and manure available but the chicken manure is for fertilizing the soil. BUT, it seems everything I've read is that chicken manure is hot and will burn tender new plants or seedlings.
It’s an absolute earthworm magnet in my area anywhere I use it, I’m NE TX zone 8, 50” annual rainfall, never experienced termites in any of my beds. I deep mulch with arborist chips and leaves.
Do you guys have the formosan termites out there? They are invasive to Alabama brought over from a lumber shipment to mobile harbor. They chew up anything that closely resembles wood
I agree....my cardboard beds have thousands of earthworms....I don't know why they love it so much other than running away from the sun
I used cardboard before I knew it was "a thing". My elderly neighbor hipped me to it. I place compost on top of the grass/weeds, cardboard, followed by a 4" - 6" layer of mulch. As for termites, I wouldn't sheet mulch if a bed is against my house. Termites got into a bed that was out by the road. They actually helped break down the cardboard faster! I thanked them! 😅😅😅
Great information! Thank you.
My grandmother and my father used it. They would get cardboard that appliances were shipped in. That was way back in the 60s.
Just two very minor complaints. If you don't remove clear plastic tape from some cardboard, it is a nuisance when it pops up. And second, slugs gather under the cardboard so I won't use it near hostas. Conversely, this could be a good way to trap the little pests and get rid of them!
Great points. Thanks for sharing!
I start my plants indoors from seed - I use cardboard boxes as garden beds. When they are able to be moved outdoors, I place the entire box on the ground whether there is grass or bare dirt, use a pitchfork to poke holes in the bottom if needed and just let it go. Has saved my back and knees for years! 😁
This is great information!!! Thank you for sharing
I'm in temperate Zone 9, with around 60" of rain annually (NW England, UK).
I've been using cardboard covered with 4" of my own compost for initial weed suppression for over a decade with excellent results.
Cardboard is completely decomposed in 6-8 months.
I also use shredded cardboard for carbon, especially grass clippings, as it's easy to mix the two together.
I also use all the sawdust & shavings from my woodworking projects.
I've been 'no till' for 7 years.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us. This is great information. I toured Kew 20ish years ago and a bunch of other gardens in England. I envy the passion for gardening in the UK.
I made friends with my shipping department at work. Every recycle day I get to fill my car with cardboard for the multiple projects we are working on in our yard. :)
Ha! That is awesome!! Thanks for sharing.
Two years ago I had my garage taken down and the concrete floor broken up. I have been using a layer of cardboard then a layer of weed cloth topped with the concrete. This area is near my raised garden beds and will keep that area weed and work free, (that is my hope). I have been saving all my boxes for two years. So far this is really looking good. I will use sand and maybe a little soil between the concrete shapes to plant Hen and Chicks and creeping Thyme for fragrance as I walk. I always try to use everything that I cut down or take down, somewhere else on my property. Each tree that came down over the years, ground up and used as mulch. So everything that was here 47.5 years ago, is still here, in one form or another.
(Zone 6A SE PA). I am converting a 15' x 125' strip of grass to a perennial bed over the course of three years. I am in year two. This was a long-term project that has yielded favorable results. To do this I cut lawn at the closest setting. Before I laid the cardboard down I spent a significant amount of time removing any packing tape. Tape does not decompose well (polypropylene or polyethylene plastic), and I saw no reason to add it. Those pieces I did miss are intact after a year. I usually did an area of 15 x 20 feet at a time. That's a lot of cardboard and I was limited by how much I could collect from donations from friends and what I could scrounge from worksites. I laid it down overlapping the cardboard by several inches. I used hardwood mulch that was not dyed. I added about a 4-6 inch layer.
Last year I completed an area about 15 x 100. I finished that by about July and let it sit undisturbed until this spring when I began planting transplants. The cardboard had not rotted away but was sufficiently rotted to cut through with a trowel. The remainder of the 15 x 50 I finished off by July and it will also sit until next spring before planting.
Take aways: Very satisfied. Be patient. I have experienced no grass coming through. A few weeds will germinate within the mulch but are easy to pull.
Awesome thank you for taking the time to share your experiences. That is valuable information.
Very informative and excellent video, thank you. Also, great info and comments from the other viewers. I feel more positive and comfortable about using cardboard in my yard.
I agree. I have enjoyed reading other people's experiences with using cardboard. Thanks for watching
I pull all tape off before putting down cardboard. I live in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. I have soil that tends to have some clay to some areas where there is lots of clay. I have created three beds so far using this method with great success. Two beds are three years old. Inexpensive bed a year old. All doing great. I try to plant ground covers to help with weed growth. I do not get grass coming up from below. Which amazes me because sure I have Bermuda. I do get weeds here and there that grown on top and are very easy to pull out. I am currently getting ready to create two more beds using the same method. This method changed my life. Made it possible to create a beautiful garden.
This is great information. I could see how prairie soils with a lot of clay could be difficult.
I've been using cardboard for 3 years in my flower and conifers beds and i have and easy weeding job, It works great ! Thanks
It works great when used correctly.
This video's just what I needed! I shop online, so I have LOTS of cardboard. I also have a bed with hostas in it but has been taken over by weeds. Knowing how to use my cardboard to reclaim my flower bed is going to make what I dreaded would be a monumental job easy. (I'm now a subscriber.)
Thank you for the comment and subscribing. It means a lot.
The cardboard is an initial weed suppressant but eventually, about a year, it breaks down and is gone. That is when you need to figure out what mulches or other ground covers you are going to use to stop the weeds. BUT, if you have lots of weeds, the cardboard topped with mulch will kill it.
@@boysrus61 great information. Thanks for sharing
June of 2023 I took out a corner of my property about 35 feet both directions from the corner. It took a lot of cardboard. I topped with compost, planted a bunch of plants by digging circles in the cardboard etc. then topped with mulch. A year later, the cardboard is gone and everything I planted this past spring 2024 is sitting in fabulous weed free soil. I did the same thing with two 4 x 16 beds by the porch. I do rip all the tape off and try to get my cardboard from he furniture stores so the pieces are big. The only grass I pull up is the edge where I begin the beds which also creates a good border. I do get weeds that I am assuming comes in with the wind or bird drippings, but using the cardboard instead of cutting out all that grass is a no brainer. Yesterday I dug another bed to take out a corner and make it easier for mowing but I am a firm believer in cardboard in case you couldn't tell!
This is great information. Thank you for sharing.
I’ve used cardboard in the garden for decades. Works very well, better on sandy soil than on heavy clay but worked well in both southern Ontario and Nova Scotia where it rains every few days. Breaks down in about a year in Nova Scotia because of the amount of rain. Hasn’t seemed to affect plant/shrub/tree health in any garden location. Place stones over cardboard as mulch because the constant strong winds here in Nova Scotia blow mulch away. Effective at reducing weeds which are plentiful here because of the winds and people don’t maintain their properties well at all.
This is great information and seems consistent with the peer review data I have looked at. In moist environments with sandy soils it seems to be beneficial. Thank you for taking time to share your experience.
Excellent video! Have considered trying cardboard for a while, so I've got a bank of boxes stored up to test with in an herb garden I have in mind for my farm here. 16 acres of row crops and peach, pear and plum orchards. I wore a halo for 8 months before I graduated to a boot. An amazing journey. . . Bless you Brother.
Thanks for watching and for the kind words. 16 acres!!! It sounds like an impressive operation you have going on.
I tore my Achilles training for a marathon last winter. I got out of the boot back in May, out of PT 3 weeks ago, and I am on a "return to running" program that consist of different combinations of walking/running. Baby steps but headed in the right direction.
Zone 6a in Northwest Indiana. I neglected a back garden for years. This Summer I cleared all the top-growth down to bare dirt. I am eager to put down shredded wood mulch, but I still have too many stumps to dig out from volunteer trees. Plus I have long ropes of inch thick wisteria root that is sprawling across the surface of the ground. Without a doubt there is a multitude of seed and root from all the weeds still lurking in the soil. I expect the weeds will soon return with a vengeance. Based on this video and the comments, it seems my next wisest move would be a layer of cardboard on as much soil as possible. That will discourage the resurgence of weed while I'm digging out the larger root systems. Shifting cardboard about will be easier than dealing with mulch when I need to grade the soil after all the excavations. When all the soil finally is prepared for mulch, I intend to use cardboard at least along the pathways. I scavenged a large roll of landscape fabric I can use in the planting beds.
I would like to add that my best friend in all this toil is my reciprocating saw. It has a pruning blade that can cut through a 4 inch trunk without breaking a sweat. Best of all, that long sawblade can be used to cut through root growth without damage to the saw. You can't do that with a chain saw without ruining the saw blades. The only downside is that a reciprocating saw vibrates so holding it steady becomes tiring for an age 70 woman who does not have much muscle. That is a minor disadvantage in light of the benefits. I took down two truckloads of brush with that saw. The city brought a front loader to scoop up those foliage mountains.
My region has a vendor that specializes in mulch. Look for one in your area. They deliver or allow pickup by the truckload. They offer mulch from hardwood, softwood, chipper scrap, fragrant woods, and quite a selection of colored mulches. My initial layer will be the least expensive and lowest grade available. I will splurge a little more on the top dressing.
Great information thanks for sharing
I would like to suggest not using weed fabric. Weeds grow through it. I am excited for you in your endeavors.
Been looking to extend some island flower beds but have been putting it off because of not wanting to do the digging out part. I guess now I can move forward with this info! Thanks!
It worked for me. Bermuda might sneak around the edges.
I like the idea of cardboard covered with wood chips in the walk lanes. I may give it a try this fall if I have the time. Weeds in the walk lanes not that big an issue this year, but oh well. I've used cardboard in the perimeter flower bed that surrounds the main garden. Perimeter @ 88 feet, a work in progress due to crab grass intrusion. Any way, have used cardboard over grass to start off new beds. Works okay if you pile enough compost and soil on top of it. Saves from having to dig up the grass that's firmly rooted in place and keeps the soil profile undisturbed.
Yes, I would think compost on top of cardboard would be great for the purpose you mentioned.
For large areas, I have been using corrugated b-roll cardboard. Thinner than a box, breaks down faster, very easy to work with, and comes in rolls.
This is genius. Thanks for sharing
Where do you but b-roll cardboard? And does it kill red clover?
@@ronniehiggins8624 given enough time it will kill it
Looks like you’ve had some issue with your leg. Hope all heals quickly. 🙏🏼
Mary, Decatur, AL
Two more weeks from today and that thing comes off. Not that I am counting down or anything. Haha!!
In Idaho zone 7b I have used cardboard for the last three years. This past week my husband and I put cardboard over existing weeds. Then we brought in 8 inches of compost. In the walkways we put down thick wood chips that were dropped off by an arborist. This is how I’ve built all my vegetables beds. It’s cheap and very effective. While you still need to be vigilant regarding weeds it is a far cry from what a person normally deals with.
Great information. Thanks for sharing.
Really like the science and practical mix. Great balanced video. It's too late for me and the termites. Oh well, they were well fed😂 I put it in the bottom of my raised beds. I like how you addressed the ink question.
Thank you for watching and leaving a comment! One thing earning my PhD taught me is to try to take my personal opinion out of situations and look at the data. Also, to be willing to change my mind based on new data. It's easier said than done. Confirmation bias of personal experience and opinions is hard to break. I try to apply a balance of science and practicality when I film.
you forgot worms... when i put carboard down in my garden it attracts a ton of worms, both red wrigglers and nightcrawlers... they literally eat the carboard and leave and leave behind lots of good casings, plus they aerate the area nicely, also a bonus
I an converting a 400m2 verge from couch grass to natives. Have covered it all with cardbrd and mulch. The couch came thru...eventually. Best method...cut grass and water in a liquid fertilizer. Cover with cardbrd and THICK layer of mulch. Green mulch is the BEST. Works really well.
This is great information. Thanks for sharing
I quit using cardboard, as it wasn’t really that good but, my cardboard was moldy when I replaced my mulch. Mold scared me so, no more cardboard use for me!
Some molds/ fungus are beneficial to plants others are not.
I use cardboard everywhere in my landscape. It's like a cheat code
Here comes my funny story 😁 I´m new to gardening and try my best to learn. So I live in pour soil conditions on top of a bare hill. Great view, wind and weeds 😀 I wanted to improve my soil and put some small mulch to desolve faster. Under it I put cardboard to supress the weeds. The wind blew away my mulch and the ugly cardboard appeared under. 😂 Now I´m taking it of and will put some heavy big piece mulch on top. Just a newbie problems...
It happens to everyone. I've been in the green industry my entire career and I am still learning new things. Enjoy the process of learning and getting better.
@@Dr.Warren Thank you 😀 My goal is to keep mulching with a lot of groundcovers, plants and flowers in the future.
I use cardboard throughout my whole garden. Small box’s get ripped up and added to worm bin. Out side use I always do to layers with mulch on top of that. In zone 4B cardboard last 1-2 year depending on winter in my zone.
This is great information. Thanks for sharing.
We filled two very weeded areas with cardboard. 7 months later weeds only in spaced where I think we left gaps.
I think we we double the layers of cardboard next time.
I don't compost grass if its seedings. I did that once, had grass coming up in my compost and wherever I use my compost. Thing with some cardboard I found out that some won't completely compost down into soil. The cardboard that didn't compost completely became hard and nonbendable. I had to remove its from my compost container. None of the bug,worm, and organisms didn't want to touch it. Like pizza boxes that I compost ones. Composted completely down into soil in no time. Toilets paper rolls take longer to compost down,
This is great information. Thank you for taking time to watch and leaving a comment.
I’ve used cardboard to block nasty weeds and it works great! If it’s in contact with the dirt it breaks down quickly so you’ll need to replace it eventually.
Yes, it will break down that could be both good or bad depending on the desired outcome.
I use cardboard in multiple usage places. I have 3 types of compost piles that I turn about once a month. One with cardboard, mulched leaves and pinestraw placed on top of a hard layer of plastic. No watering except for nature. This has become my worm compost and makes great soil replenishment. The other 2 piles are of just leaves and grass clippings with soil that has no composition (came from holes I dug for burn pits 6 feet deep) the third is my "wet" compost from the yardwaste and kitchen scraps along with the coffee grounds. This is my amendment soil at the beginning of each year (I pick out the worms).
Another use for cardboard is between the rows of my corn bed for weed suppression, this works great as long as I leave an 18 inch diameter of soil clear for the roots. I cover with just raked leaf mulch and water every 2 days. At the end of season I pick up cardboard and leave mulch. Cover with a tarp for the winter. I then take the rather worn down cardboard and place it in "Pile 1". I find many worms underneath and suspect that is where my worms come to "PIle 1". The last place I use cardboard is the walkways between my raised beds which i then also cover with weed cloth barrier and pin it down. About every 2 years I have to replace the cardboard but the weeds in my beds are absolutely only windborne and easy to maintain. Beds are 24 inches high.
Brian thanks!!!!!! That took a minute to type out but really valuable information.
What about all the chemicals used at the papermills where they make the cardboard? Has anyone tested the cardboard to find what remains? I would not want to grow food in cardboard-amended soil.
Great explanation ., Thank you for educating.
So, i use lot of the empty CardBoards to fill my ladscape, Simply because the developer of the property stamped lot of construction debri into the soil .I just dont like to grow plants in that soil, so For the past few yrs i dug out about 2 foot down and cleared the soil and use CARDBOARDS, & tree clippings to fill it up., Its lot of work but from what i see it is reviving the soil and I see my plants are thriving, though it takes long time to fill up the space. But its a good alternative I thought. I dont want to bring in external soil , i just want to have a NATURAL soil in my yard ..
Great riff on one "ingredient"!
Goes well with the "all peroxide" epidode.
A good niche and hope to see more, if possible.
I have two weeks off between the end of the spring semester and before I have to return to teach summer semester. My goal is to make a video a day and try to stick to single topic videos like this. I probably won't post a video everyday but I will save them for release periodically throughout the summer.
Soak it wet before you lay it down. Use Chitosan if you have Termites and don't worry about it.
Brilliant ideas
Thank you for this viedo. I was wondering about this very thing. Wish i would have known that sooner.
Cardboard has its pros and cons just like anything else. In the right applications it's pretty good.
Yes, it works.
Thank you for clarifying this.
I just used cardboard today. We dug up sod/grass and then laid down cardboard. Added river rock on top of cardboard to hold it in place. We have 3 new bushes planted (2 years old) in the midst of this and left about one foot perimeter around each. It was hard to get around to mow so we are trying this. I hope it keeps the grass/weeds out of this area. Normally I use large black lawn bags but thought this was a cheaper method.
It is definitely better than plastic because it lets water through and will not get near as hot
I have known people to use old wornout woollen carpet on their garden to get rid of weeds etc. Wool being a natural fibre would also add nutrients to the soil as it breaks down. Happy gardening, from Tasmania, 🇦🇺 Australia.
As I understand it, you should always remove the labels that are printed with a thermal printer, they contain BPA. And what about the clear tape often used in packaging? I always remove that too.
I think the consensus is clear polypropylene tape is removed if it's paper based like Amazon is starting to use you can leave it.
We use the cardboard to kill the plants underneath (usually to expand the garden or create a path), to deter weeds, and to retain moisture. It works great for all these. For gardening, we normally put old straw on top of it; some plants get planted directly in the straw and for others we will cut a hole in the cardboard to be able to place the plant in the ground. One year I planted directly in cardboard boxes...the only issue I had with that was I had the boxes in places I didn't want the soil to be; by the time I went to move the boxes, the bottoms had decomposed so I had quite a bit of work to dig out the soil; however, the plants themselves did fine. Come to think of it, this may be a great way to try growing potatoes next year. Oh, I have also used cardboard to line open IBC container frames to keep in sticks, leaves, and straw. It works but didn't retain water as well as I wanted because the cardboard was only on the sides, not the bottom, of the container.
Great information. Thanks for sharing
Great video…I was considering cardboard until you said termites, I live in Florida and termites are a problem. I have a termite specialist spraying to keep them out, so I don’t want to do anything to feed or attract them…thx so much for sharing!!!
Yes! Florida has the invasive formosan termites. 50-100ft away from the house probably nothing to worry about. On flower beds around the foundation of the house I would not do it.
Also, I noticed your picture. I think the Phillies have a good chance to win it all. I'm a braves fan and the injury bug has bitten us big time this year. If the Phillies can get hot they are going to be tough to eliminate.
@@Dr.Warren I think so too…thx!!!
I remove all plastic from the cardboard, tape, labels, nylon filaments etc. And use only plain cardboard, no shiny coatings and very minimal coloration. Our potter's clay soil has improved in texture where cardboard is used with an overlayment of pine straw or pine shaving horse bedding. Areas are periodically allowed to go fallow with native 'weeds' like dandelions, asters etc. and rye and clovers.
Clay can be difficult but it sounds like you have greatly improved it's structure
@@Dr.Warren it's slowly getting there. In Elementary School some 70 years ago, we learned of the prairie soil that, when Europeans first arrived was as black as night and from 6' to 15' deep😲. Of the lily worm, now extinct🥺, a native earthworm that grew to 15' in length and smelled like Easter lilies. Of the loss through greedy mismanagement that made it into the Great Dustbowl.😱 It can never recover completely, but my journey to stewardship began that day.
@@thisbushnell2012 same here. There is a place in Georgia called Providence canyon and it was created by the mismanagement of soils. It really dialed me into soil preservation. It is the most valuable resource we have.
The hydrophobic properties of dry cardboard isn't an issue. The water will run off the side of the cardboard and soak into the ground. The cardboard then prevents that water from evaporating away.
Noone has ever claimed that cardboard has an NPK value. It's the best thing for your soil because it's 90% carbon. When carbon is colonized by fungi and bacteria it's broken down into humus. Soil thats high in carbon has a high cation exchange capacity, which means that the chemical charge of the soil prevents nutrients from washing away. The feedback, between these properties becomes a virtuous cycle. More nutrients, more growth, more soil microbes etc.
VERY helpful - THX
For 15-25$ you can get contract paper made from recycled paper. it can be used in the garden too. I find it easier to use because if you have curves, its easy to cut to bed shape. it does the same as cardboard and is very cheap. most are 3x100 or 3x150 or more in length. I tried cardboard in the vegetable garden which does good but trying to overlap them so weeds/grass don't get though takes a lot of boxes. I get small amazon boxes not enough big ones. contract paper can easily overlap. Also I dont know what other business sprayed on the box.
Great information. Thank you for sharing.
Might be an obvious thing, but also good to mention if using those big heavy-duty cardboard boxes with the big metal staples in them - take out the staples before using in the garden.
Don't want to be stepping on those with bare feet.
Ouch!!!! Good point!
I have used a row of pavers to remove turf. Cardboard would have been unsightly in locations where curb appeal matters. Place the row on top of the grass along one edge of your intended planting bed. When that turf is dead, move the pavers to kill off the adjacent strip of lawn. Add mulch to the exposed dirt as your planting bed continues to expand.
This is great. Thanks for sharing
😁😁 New topic, new background.
Prior to moving into our current home, the landscape fabric has grass/weeds growing through it. Surrounding our bushes/trees is river rock on top. My question is do you recommend opening a cardboard box up allowing it to be double layered or is one layer (box fully open) sufficient as well. I’d like to cover up the grass/weeds with cardboard and add newer rock on top of the existing rock. The grass/weeds just make the landscape river rock look terrible. Also we also live in South Alabama. Thanks.
Either way would work. Double would last a little longer. Being in South Alabama I wouldn't put it close to the house. You guys have the formosan termites and they will be attracted to cardboard.
Same issue here.......NW Florida
Well, dang. This year’s vegetable garden, first time ever with limited use of cardboard. I did create lots of fine perforations with a pitchfork and then covered with grass clippings. We’ll see how it goes but even this month’s issue of Mother Earth News has some warning about forever chemicals in some cardboard. Like I already said….DANG.
I wouldn't stress too much over it. Nothing is perfect and probably never will be. Keep doing what you think is right and learn from it regardless if the outcome is positive or negative. Just apply new knowledge and keep moving forward.
Use plain cardboard NOT the shiny stuff or stuff with a lot of inks on it
Hi, I like your channel. I live in central Florida.
Could adding termite bug killer between cardboards layers solve the termite problem you mentioned here? Thanks.
Fipronil would probably work the best.
Thank you very much.
Thanks for watching.
I am curious why you only mentioned termites as bugs that are attracted to the cool wet environment created by the cardboard. The cardboard will take a long time to degrade alone but a lot of composting bugs will eat it such as worms, pillbugs, and earwigs. It's a 2 for 1 benefit because if they eat the cardboard they will be less likely to eat your plants. I have a worm bin and I add a big square piece occasionally to the top to help retain moisture and insulate it when the temps are high and the worms will always climb up to the top and surround it top and bottom to munch on it, it doesn't take them very long to work through it.
Because they are detrimental to structures on the property so it was worth noting as a potential negative. The others wouldn't bother much.
I used it on the bottom of my raised beds to help with moisture retention. I’m in zone 10B close to the Caloosahatche river (quite a few southeastern moles) I was hoping it could possibly slow them down from getting to the roots?
Do you ever see the Florida panther down there? I've been to big Cypress and the Everglades twice crossing my fingers to see one in the wild.
@@Dr.Warren I have 😁 on Sanibel under a still home with 2 cubs. It was incredible. The island has denied having them. I hadn’t thought about it; I hope they made it through Ian
Great video thanks ! ❤
Thanks for watching Joan.
@@Dr.Warren All your videos are very helpful, and well done.Have an interesting and safe summer :-)
I use cardboard all the time.
I am wrong that the plastic tape used on most boxes, other the Amazon boxes, would become micro plastics over time. I also seem to remember that those micro plastics can eventually be take up and into the plant tissue. Am I wrong on this?
I would need to do some research on whether plastic is systemic or not. Off the top of my head I would think they wouldn't be.
I remove tape n labels. Looks better and may be better for the soil plants and animals.
Great! Thank you.
Thanks for watching and leaving a comment
I am in Zone 7 and in a Master Gardener Program. Our program `build a good size gardening area about 100' x 100" and covered it was cardboard, then wood chips. We then built raised beds. The ground was covered with wire grass. It took about a year before the cardboard decomposed and once again the wire grass started growing. Some of the cardboard was corrugated and I was concerned about the glue. After doing some research I found that the glue, like the ink is safe.
White paper such as print paper, coffee filters toilet paper, tissue paper etc. contains dioxin which is classified as a carcinogen by the FDA yet who also says it contains small amounts in coffee filters, is safe and decomposes. Can you trust the FDA? I'll let you decide.
I need to read up on dioxin. I do know off the top of my head they are a group that consists of dozens of not hundreds of chemicals. Perhaps some are more toxic than others? And at what levels are they considered safe? I'm not sure and would need to pull the peer review to have a better understanding.
@@Dr.Warren There is little or no research on some obscure topics. If there are any studies they usually are very small. I use white coffee filters to make coffee because i cannot find the brown ones any longer. As I drink the coffee I wonder if I am drinking tiny amounts of some chemical used to bleach the paper which the FDA says is safe.
I wanted to use cardboard around my fire pit and leave the decorative rocks on top instead of soil or mulch. Is this better? Would the card board last longer? I live in Tampa, fl. Soil is dry like sand. Weeds especially these last couple of weeks of rain have gotten out of control. Weed killer that I have used in the past doesn't do the job. I have expensive thicker weed barrier there now with rocks on top. Drowning in weeds😁 Thank you!
I was in Tampa back in October. Such a beautiful city. My main concern would be an ember leaving the fire pit and catching the cardboard on fire. It would work but I would put a thick layer of rocks on top of the cardboard. Also you have formosan termites that far south. They will eat up cardboard fast if they find it
Tried it, but unfortunately it didn’t work. It grew back very fast in spring.
Cardboard starts to saturate rather quickly though after a good watering a couple times
Yes, it tends to be hydrophillic if you can keep it a little damp but is hydrophobic if its dry. It acts very much like peat moss in that regard.
Can you put cardboard on existing rocks and more rocks on cardboard?
I don't see why you couldn't
I put 6” thick mulch on top of cardboard 2yrs ago. The cardboard disintegrated.. Weeds have come up through the old cardboard. It is not permanent!!!!
Yes, cardboard will eventually break down but it has the benefit of adding structure to the soil.
Was the weed as bad as before? did you notice a difference?
@@joey3184 it definitely helps
I heard that cardboard or plywood is also good for removing grubs from your garden/lawn.
Perhaps? My thoughts are if you are lowering oxygen exchange with the soil maybe to the point it suffocates the grubs? I need to read up on this for sure.
I’m confused about the tape. He’s referring to paper tape, right? But boxes that have the clear packing tape would be different and presumably take a lot longer to decompose?
Yes, paper tape like Amazon is now using us supposed to be ok
I used cardboard as a weed block under woodchip mulch in the aisles around my raised bed. FAIL! Clover and other weeds grew anyway.
I also used it as a weed barrier in a small flower bed. Didn't bother the alyssum or carpathian harebells, but didn't stop the clover here either. FAIL.
By the way we have red clay soil here in NJ 7a.
Perhaps clover seeds in the mulch?
@@Dr.Warren perhaps....but there has been clover all over this property since we bought it 20 yrs ago
Very helpful video! May I ask you what you think about using a rug made of natural fibers (like wool), the same way you would use cardboard? I'm considering recycling an old carpet in my yard where i have a particularly tough time with persistent weeds. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this!
Susie, this is an interesting concept to think about and this is off the top of my head and not peer review. I would think it would work with the added benefit of acting as an insect repellent. It would also decompose much slower than cardboard so you get more use out of it. What I do not know is if there is any dye, glue, etc. used in rug making would be detrimental to your plants.
Thank you for your response! Super helpful.@@Dr.Warren
I have been happy using cardboard for many years. I understand one of the more recent concerns is with the glue used in making it. Do you have any research about the glue?
I want to say that the glue is plant based. I think it is lignin or a compound derived from lignin. I would need to read up on it to be for sure.
@@Dr.Warren There's been so much click-bait about this, and hand-wringing. Some say to just use wood chips, but I know well you need least a foot of them, and after they break down, you need to keep adding more. The cardboard gives you much more weed-free time! I'd love to hear about the glue!
Will using cardboard between raised beds be a place for earwigs and squash beetles to multiply?
Potentially, there are a lot of other variables that would play into insect recruitment to the area.
Hi! I am renting a place with a small front yard. It is full of weeds and the grass is on its last leg. It takes a considerable amount of water to keep the little grass that's left green. Oh, and there is no sprinkler system! I am considering mulching the yard and strategically using a few drought-resistant plants to make it pretty (maybe some stepping stones too). I live in the central Utah desert. It is HOT, but we also get snow in the winter. Would you recommend using cardboard under the mulch as a solution for the next 2 years, or would you recommend I use the weed fabric instead? Thanks! Glad I found your channel! @Dr.Warren
So weed fabric will pretty much do the same thing as cardboard but will let the water filtrate to the soil better. Being in the desert and trying to conserve water I would lean fabric. But fabric eventually breaks down too.
i have heavy clay and rocks. It adds organic material
Awesome thanks for sharing!
You give info on cardboard decomposition in SW & SE USA. What about states and land area along the USA-Canada border such as Minnesota & N. Dakota. Basically in areas with winter temperatures that drop to -30 F. & have snowfall as high as 3-4 ft which last for at least 3-4 months, with shorter days of sunshine, as little as 4 hrs in January. How long would decomposition take there?
I would be under the assumption that during the Winter decomposition is halted that far north and resumes during the Spring thaw. So it would take longer to break down.
@@Dr.Warren That’s what I assumed too. Just wanted an experts opinion. Thank you.
@@tineschrijvers3174 that's not peer review just my personal thought. But I can't see it being another way
I was told using cardboard as a weed barrier can attract termites. Is this true?
I go over this in the video
I wish my cardboard lasted 6 months.....if i put it down in the late fall when we are beyond our rainy season i might get 6 months, but if i put it down in the spring or summer, if i disturb it to plant something it disintegrates into nothing then all the weeds pop through within a week. I love it for starting a bed but the weeds are coming through it sooner than later in sw florida.
Things decompose very fast down there. It's hot, humid, rainy, and the soil tends to be acidic.
@Dr.Warren uncomfortably hot and humid....I call it perpetual summer. My soil should be more acidic....most of my neighbors have acidic soil, mine tends to be quite alkaline....our community was tomato fields, and I'm convinced my lot was the spot for storing equipment or machinery. It's a constant struggle fighting chlorosis....but I have a few fabulous spots that never need amendments. We all have our share of issues as gardeners so it's all good!
@@rootelation486 that's awesome. Thank you for sharing.
What’s the most inexpensive “mulch” to use for a large area. My son is lazy…his front yard is full of weeds. My husband (73) goes over and whacks it down and tries weed killer but I’m embarrassed to have anyone see me walk into his house! I suggested he at least do this - cardboard and mulch - but he complains the mulch is too expensive (it would take a lot and ya, bags of mulch are not cheap). Any other ideas?
I can get an entire pickup load of pine bark at a local lumber yard for $60. It's 1.25 cubic yards and goes a long ways. The individual bags get pricey. See if you have a local wood product/lumber yard and buy it in bulk for cheap.
@@Dr.Warren thanks! I’ll look into it!
Some communities create mulch from tree trimmings and greens recycling. They let it compost briefly and then it is free to the community.
In Colorado, we have “chip drops”…. Local tree guys have loads of shredded trees they’ve cut down and ground up. Rather than paying to take it to the dump, they offer it to anyone who wants a “chip drop”. I had 10 yds delivered 5 days after I put in my info. There are only a few downsides: day and time of delivery are unknown till that morning. Amount is anywhere from 5-15 yards of mulch- you must take what they have in truck. They will dump the chipped mulch in your driveway or where you clearly mark your yard.
I loved the service and 10 yards of free mulch to cover my cardboard!
@@peggywhitt5973 I wish I had that service. That's really cool
Can you use cardboard next to trees like Holles and Loquats on clay soil? Worried that my trees my get impacted by putting cardboard down next to them and my shrubs/yuccas. But I also want to kill the grass/weeds around them in the mulch beds
I think you will be ok with cardboard
Wìĺ nutrients from compost get through to plants? I am considering putting cardboard on an existing flowerbed of rugosa roses and lavender. I'm in victoria bc. Thank you
That's a great question. Cardboard allows water to run through it so I would think dissolved nutrients would be carried with the water and not bind to cardboard. However I do not have any peer review to suggest my thoughts are correct.
Be sure to use plain brown cardboard and not glossy cardboard (like a television comes in). The glossy cardboard takes so much longer to decompose and may have a plastic layer in it.
True!
Cardboard is great but take off all the tape and labels to keep from putting microplastics out of your soil.
Who has time for that? The man literally addresses negligible toxicity levels from package tape and ink
I’ve tried it. It will not work on bermuda grass. Bermuda grass always finds its way up. I’ve tried it.
Bermuda can definitely run and work it's way around objects in the right conditions.
Ornamec works on bermuda.
Will that become insects of any kind's nest? I know roaches, earwigs, scorpions, even snakes love cardboard to hide
Potentially, there are several variables that would play into that.
The termite thing scares me. Would it hurt my scrubs and bushes if I sprayed Borax in the cardboard to deter the termites?
No it would not. I would be hesitant if close to a house or an area with formosan termites
@@Dr.Warren thank you sir !
What about Woodchips
They could work but there is some research that suggests your nitrogen could get tied up and not available to plants with wood.
But tape is plastic! What about microplastic and how they can capture toxins?
Yes, polypropylene based tape probably isn't the best. But Amazon has been using a paper based tape that is supposed to be environmentally friendly.
I've successfully used cardboard as part of lasagna bedding to kill lawn and create new flower beds. While paper-based tape (modern Amazon packaging) decomposes fine, remove any plastic based tape (clear packing tape) as that does not break down in any reasonable timeframe.
Great information. Thanks for sharing.
Coastal California here. I'm on a sand dune, but still, we've had drought of near drought for more than a decade. About decomposition then? Without rain, 8 or 9 months out of the year, the cardboard may take up to three years to fully decompose. I certainly don't turn the hose on the cardboard. Water's very expensive and precious. The problem then, when it is half decomposed, it's very unsightly. You either want to take it up and dispose of it somehow, or you will want to put down fresh. Also not a whole lot of fun. On the whole, I use it liberally because we have some very invasive weeds here, coming from all over the world. The biggest problem is Veldt Grass, coming from S. Africa. You don't want to know how prodigious this grass is. I don't use straw over the cardboard because I just don't like the look of it or the ecosystem it creates. If I have leaves, I'll use those.
That is great information. Thanks for taking the time to share your experiences.
Remove tape, don’t use cardboard that has a covering and it decomposes quickly. Gas exchange isn’t an issue. Weed suppression is the main purpose. Kills grass effectively. Eliminates need to dig up area when covered with mulch.
There are a lot of chemicals in that cardboard due to the ink.
If you care about that cut the inked parts off. ❤
While it doesn't provide nutrition, the earthworms it attracts does.
Ss far as keeping weeds out it does not work. I had weeds and blackberry bushes coming up through the first season.
It does tend to decompose overtime
I tried to find out what chemicals were in cardboard and didn't find any information. Sites stated that it's cardboard and it is safe. ok How about the paper that makes up the cardboard and the glue, maybe a water repellent? Yup, chemicals for making the paper, but no information on what they are. I decided not to use.
What happened to your foot?
Torn Achilles marathon training. I'm out of the boot now, did physical therapy, and very slowly starting to jog again.
Cardboard, attracts worms like crazy and warm castings will feed your plants
I've noticed the same thing.