Spring is here, and summer is just around the corner. If you don’t already have a garden, now is the time to do it.<\/p>\n
You don’t need a rototiller. Pick an area with good sunlight,
\nand mow the grass short or chop away the weeds. Lay down a single layer of
\ncardboard. If there is a lot of weed stuble, you might want a double layer.
\nPlain is fine, but I like to use corrugated carboard.
\nMany grocery stores will give the boxes away for free. You can also use
\nlayered newsprint. I’ve found that newsprint is not nearly as effective as
\ncardboard unless a fairly thick layer of newsprint is used. I would recommend
\nno less than 10 sheets.<\/p>\n
Make sure to overlap the pieces of cardboard or newsprint, otherwise the weeds
\nwill find their way up through the cracks.<\/p>\n
On top of the cardboard, apply a layer of mulch, 1 to 3 inches.
\nThen water the mulch pretty thoroughly. This will work its way down
\nto the cardboard, softening it, and making it conform tightly to the ground.<\/p>\n
Between the cardboard and the mulch, you should have nearly eliminated any
\nweeding through the course of the summer, as well as helping to conserve
\nmoisture during the heat of summer.<\/p>\n
If you use the same location for your garden year after year, this layer of
\nmulch will decompose and act as fertilizer and soil building organic matter.
\nTop dress with 1 inch of so of mulch each year, adding new cardboard every
\nother year or so.<\/p>\n
By the way, bushes and trees can also benefit from a 1 to 3 feet circle of
\nmulch, thinner towards the center, thicker at the outer edges.<\/p>\n
Aged mulch is better. It has had the chance to compost somewhat, and is not
\nas nitrogen leaching as fresh mulch. Because it is partially decomposed, aged mulch
\nusually has a nice natural dark color. Dyed mulch is quicker to produce, but
\nit is often made of lower grade wood, pallets or demolished home debris. With dyed mulch the
\naddition of some nitrogen may be necessary to balance the fact that the
\nfreshly decomposing wood will draw some nitrogen from the ground.
\nI also find the dye tends to stain everything it touches.<\/p>\n
In my area I’ve found that it is easy to locate a double ground tree top mulch
\nthat is undyed, and aged for a year before being delivered for retail sale.
\nThis makes an excellent mulch that helps build a biologically active soil.<\/p>\n
In the absence of a good wood or bark type mulch, straw can be used.
\nI’ve used baled straw, taking sections off of the end and laying them over
\nthe cardboard. Every year my wife and mother in law set up a Halloween
\ndisplay using a couple of bales of straw. By spring time it makes an
\nexcellent, long lived mulch. You can fluff it up to make it look prettier,
\nbut in my mind this makes it a lot less useful as a mulch.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Spring is here, and summer is just around the corner. If you don’t already have a garden, now is the time to do it. You don’t need a rototiller. Pick an area with good sunlight, and mow the grass short … Continue reading