Sheet Mulching Myths - The Truth Will Surprise You.

When should you use cardboard and paper in the garden?
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Sheet Mulching Myths - The Truth Will Surprise You.
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[@stephanietaraderby8376]

I've always seen the benefits of using a cardboard mulch purely the block light getting to the grass/weeds underneath so I can easily make new beds without disturbing the earth. I certainly wouldn't use it for it's nutritional content. A few inches of compost will do the same job but that can get quite expensive. I really love the no-dig cardboard approach and try to use it whenever I can!

[@jeanneharris5421]

I plan to use newspaper and some cardboard to put a barrier down against fungus. I had my greens destroyed by downy & powdery mildew! Hope it works next year!

[@stephanietaraderby8376]

@@jeanneharris5421 I don't understand how cardboard and newspaper would prevent mildew? Mildew is caused by too much humidity and not enough air circulation.

[@tomascoppinger8537]

​@@stephanietaraderby8376

[@thedayfliesby9427]

We have sand. We put cardboard down in a very very sandy dry area. It has kept the area moist. For the first time in 40 years, something is growing there and for the 1st time the sandy soil under the cardboard is staying moist. I don’t care if it takes a year for the cardboard to breakdown

[@cmbooks2000]

I thought the whole point of cardboard was a more effective weed block than fabric. There is no nutritive value, just saving time and effort where you want to block weeds and make decorative mulch last longer. Thank you for your channel and the information

[@ewithnall]

The irony that the shipping boxes are less likely to be toxic than the cereal boxes is somewhat overwhelming.

[@metaphoricallyspeaking45]

I purchased a house with a neglected yard for over 20 years. The only way to stop the crazy growth of weeds and perennial predators putting down cardboard and mulch was the only way to stop the insanity.

[@billyjolam]

How long did it take before the area was clear (and usable)?

[@johnmalcolm4822]

Just as cellulose is not in itself nutritional as a food but is essential for gut microbes as diverse as fauna in a rainforest, evaluating the role of cellulose in gardening is not just a matter of inert chemistry. Focussing on what is in the cellulose in a chemlab approach ignores the full role of the material in a living organic system. I could go on, and I'm not claiming to invalidate anything you are saying, I am slightly concerned by the non-scientific approach as seeing yourself from the outset as a debunker of certain ideas rather than as an objective seeker but I do note you are open to having your preconceptions disproved . I certainly find a lot of worms under old cardboard and I know the glue is a major factor, as is the protection from birds etc. Thanks for a lot of great info. especially as regards dyes and water permeability. I use cardboard preferably contains lots of glue, mainly for starting new beds. As the cardboard breaks up I use ripped up half rotted stuff selectively as mulch. I notice it's the glue that goes first. I live on Queensland Australia which is usually very dry and evaporation of water from the soil surface is a problem. It's quite difficult to grow many plants in Summer, red dragon snake beans being a notable exception.

[@lindaannb]

Thanks for always bringing us the science behind common practices!

[@savorit11]

Started using cardboard this year in my flower beds and I'm in love,no more weeding for the whole year! I also put it right over grass covered it with compost...no weeds..started new raised veg beds this fall,layered with leaves,steer manure,compost..will be lovely in spring ready to plant! Also worms love to live under cardboard ,when the cardboard has broke down the soil will be rich with castings Wa.state.PNW

[@billyjolam]

Did you notice whether it was wet or dry underneath the cardboard? I just placed a giant sheet of cardboard on my flower bed where I have a few plants. I left the area around the plant roots uncovered, but am a but worried that the rest of the cardboard covered area will be dry next spring (which I was hoping to get cleared of weeds and grass to plant new flowers next spring).

[@kathrynmettelka7216]

Cardboard cannot contribute nutrients to the soil for the reasons you cite, but cardboard can make it hard for weeds to reach sunlight. Nutrients can be added by covering the cardboard with compost. Anything that reduces weeding without using objectionable chemicals seems a good idea. I live in a Southern state and the idea of deliberately attracting termites provokes an anxiety attack. Termites can eat your house. They do have a place in a forest ecosystem where they break down fallen trees, but I don't want them anywhere near the wooden beams of my house.

[@Gardenfundamentals1]

1) Mulch alone can also keep light from weeds - a key point in the video. 2) The video never suggests "deliberately attracting termites".

[@travisevans7502]

@@Gardenfundamentals1 didn't work for me the buttercups and dandelions grew through it had 4 to 6 inches of compost with mulch on top but when it put down cardboard it stopped the weeds like you mentioned in the video this was lawn I turned into a few beds lots of good information in your videos

[@Justiceforallforever]

@@Gardenfundamentals1 I didn't get your point to the person with termite concerns. Of course she wouldn't 'deliberately' attract termites, but is the cardboard method risky in such a way? Well are accustomed to condos so need a lot directly spelled out (as the amount we still have to learn is overwhelming.). Thanks.

[@johndabuilder1]

I use cardboard on my newly dug swales to prevent evaporation and retain all that moisture from the rain. I live in a mediterranean climateand it works very well for this purpose and there's lots of worm activity underneath. I'll keep doing this until there's enough leaf matter produced by the plants and trees to take its place.

[@MrGeegee123]

Interesting video, although I question the part of the video about worms. I use cardboard as a mulch and also add torn up strips of cardboard to my compost bin the UK. In early spring I turn the compost over. I usually find clumps of partially composted cardboard and I am always amazed by the huge numbers of tiger worms concentrated in the cardboard when I peel back the layers. There will be hundreds of tiger worms concentrated in these cardboard clumps. The worms will be visible elsewhere in the compost but not in the dense concentrations found in the cardboard. I have observed this every year for the past eight years at my allotment, and the worms clearly have a preference for the cardboard, over the vegetable matter in varying states of decay that surrounds them. My observations support the myth rather than debunk it. I can't speak of paper as I dont compost it in any quantity.

[@cacmang42]

This was pretty good but I think we can now say that plastic in soil you grow food in is not good and should be avoided

[@itkahsramal4983]

I cardboard sheet mulched this past summer around my plants for the first time to keep the crazy weeds out. I'll tell you what traps under it....mosquitoes!!! But I'm definitely doing it again I'll just be covered in my summer lotion...OFF!

[@WarriorGnome]

Only if the cardboard is not tight to the ground--- otherwise perfect hiding place like bushes---Toads like to hide under it too. 😀

[@billyjolam]

Does this mean it is wet under the cardboard? Because I was worried it will be dry underneath the cardboard. I just sheet mulched (using cardboard) around my plants in my flower bed. Kind of worried the bug spot under the cardboard will be all dry.

[@WarriorGnome]

@@billyjolam if you put mulch on top--- after a good rain it will stay moist longer, kill the weeds and the worms love it--- along with any wildlife you may have--- birds, squirrels, turkeys

[@WarriorGnome]

I have used cardboard for years covered by 6 inches of shredded tree limbs for years in my gardens and every spring my soil gets looser, fluffier and FULL of worms !!! AND my garden is producing even more. OH despite climate control nuts I also top dress with fresh chicken and rabbit manure before a rain. All on top of a clay concrete soil !!! YES--- REMOVE ALL TAPE--- gets tangled in tiller. 😞

[@humblehalfacre8464]

Cardboard is used purely as weed suppression. Never has it been touted as a nutrient additive.

[@Gardenfundamentals1]

Not true - just read some of the other comments here about how worms love the stuff.

[@GARDENER42]

I add shredded cardboard to my compost as a carbon source. Carbon is a macronutrient for plants.

[@pa.fishpreacher6166]

Toss some blood meal on top of the cb, it will help break it down quicker

[@melanieallen3655]

I do this!!

[@KarenCampbell-qh1xt]

I like your thinking! Lots of common sense. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

[@cameronmeyer1918]

Robert, Thanks for the great information. I’m curious if you have any thoughts on Charles Dowding and or any thoughts on his methods.

[@Gardenfundamentals1]

Most of what he says is valid - but for a warmer climate.

[@TylerDurdenoio]

The thing your missing about your logic is, your talking about cardboard as if people only use cardboard by itself, than you make some sense. The fact is, people have lots of cardboard bc that's what is used to mail ship, so it makes sense to use it for a purpose, & adding it to your garden is a great way if done in certain ways,I e. when shredded, or when rebuilding soil in a dry site, where water retention is poor.

[@aok2727]

I will always advocate for using paper and cardboard to block light, retain moisture and not disturb the soil. I am adamantly opposed to landscape fabric and wish the stuff would just go away. I live in the PNW and if I lay it down in the fall, it gets wet enough to start the breakdown. In the summer, it helps retain water IF I irrigate for longer periods, less often. It seems the paper begins to breakdown and becomes a sponge of sorts. Overhead, short watering is just a waste as it is not sufficient.

[@Justiceforallforever]

Can crumpled, and other old paper be used as well?

[@JoeLBlack707]

Worms love moisture under the cardboard, especially in summer. Worm castings are THE most fertile thing.

[@Seriouslydave]

The cardboard does block the weeds better than just woodchips

[@mariehoffart1780]

I am using cardboard to kill binder weed , wild morning glory. It's extremely aggressive. Any other ideas beside cardboard ?

[@cjstenzel]

Minnesota Wild!? Are you a Minnesota guy!? I was born and raised in the Twin Cities but now live in Coastal North Carolina.

[@ellellbee]

I have never heard anyone say that paper has nutrients. Not sure where you are getting that from.

[@margan59]

I find adding corrugated cardboard to my vermicomposting and my garden ups the worms. Not because they eat it. It's that they like to lay eggs in it.

[@666bruv]

Never heard of soil fungi, colembola, and woodlouse

[@Gardenfundamentals1]

yes I have - but what is your point?

[@666bruv]

@@Gardenfundamentals1 they love those conditions, and help with biodegredation and therefore nutrient cycling, and therfore soil building, they dont need n, but build n levels, so a suitable high carbon cover is a great approach

[@genevieve3589]

where is the next video :(

[@Papawcanner]

Corrugated fiberboard is bonded with corn starch which the worms love . Cardboard is not corrugated fiberboard.

[@samkshoemaker]

You are the king

[@rubiccube8953]

I use coffee grounds cardboard sandwich topped with woodchip . I get millions of earth worms.

[@trishkcmo3683]

Cardboard is loved by my compost worms.

[@Gardenfundamentals1]

how do you know? Do they eat the cardboard or the food you put in the bin?

[@johngault8688]

I was never attracted to the idea of using cardboard in the garden. Cardboard belongs in the recycling bin; leaves belong in the garden!

[@stephanietaraderby8376]

It's great for killing off weeds to create new beds. Much better than that plastic sheeting!

[@johngault8688]

@@stephanietaraderby8376 In defense of weeds, most my yard are "weeds", many of which are great pollinator attractors and edible. However, your point on plastic is absolutely correct. We all need to greatly limit our plastic use, such as stop using plastic shopping bags and many other things.

[@stephanietaraderby8376]

@@johngault8688 Oh my garden is full of 'weeds' too! My favourites are Herb Robert and Hairy Bittercress. Both edible. I mostly use cardboard when I want to turn part of a lawn into a flower bed (there is too much lawn in the world, in my opinion). In which case digging up the turf would be both labour intensive and destructive to the soil. In this situation cardboard and 5cm of compost on top works wonderfully. Can even start planting into it straight away. Don't knock it til you've tried it!

[@johngault8688]

@@stephanietaraderby8376 You sound like a lady after my own heart...I'm sold😉

[@BryceGarling]

All my life I've known people who use cardboard and used it myself. Never ever heard anyone ever say it did anything besides suffocate weeds. It does bring worms. Any human being who hunted salamanders or snakes as a kid knows anything laying on the ground wood, metal, or cardboard has lots of worm activity underneath.

[@GARDENER42]

When I took over a very overgrown allotment, I cut down & composted the overgrowth, then after heavy rain, laid corrugated cardboard covered in 3" of home made compost & composted domestic garden waste from the council. I planted through this & had few weeds apart from where I'd planted through. The cardboard was still evident in places more than 6 months after being laid but gone by the start of the next year.

[@AJsGreenThumbLLC]

Hi, I appreciate your research and findings. I live in the mid-Atlantic- Maryland and the climate is quite humid, moist with abundant rainfall. I regularly use cardboard for sheet mulching and it works fabulous! As you have claimed, in my sunnier areas, it decomposes slower than the less sunny areas; more moisture speeds up the decomposition process. Cardboard is totally non-nutritious, so I add plenty compost and bark mulch with each application. I've added hundreds of square footage in garden beds over the past 2 years, with minimal effort. It has truly saved my back.😄

[@Sevil2024]

Did not work for me. Weeds grew right through the disintegrating cardboard plus mold and mildew started to develop on the underside of cardboard. I had a heck of a time getting rid of it.

[@jamiebaker6516]

No one says cardboard and paper provide nitrogen. That's silly. It's there to use as a foundation to put kitchen scraps on. Then you cover that with leaves and woodchips.

[@Gardenfundamentals1]

People keep saying it is good for soil and to be good for soil it needs to contain nitrogen. I agree it does not contain nitrogen, and therefore adds very little to soil.

[@jamiebaker6516]

@@Gardenfundamentals1 the nitrogen comes from the dead stuff beneath the cardboard. It is just about weed suppression though. That's all sheet mulching is for.

[@GARDENER42]

@@Gardenfundamentals1 It adds the carbon plants need.

[@cbak1819]

I'm the 1k liker😂 great video, ty🎉

[@ronachadwick7908]

Gt vid robert. Over the last 3 yrs i have been rewilding my 400m2 st verge. It was covered in weeds and couch grass. I believe it is also called bermuda or witch grass over yr way. I have certainly added a few names for it! So difficult to eradicate... i am in perth west aust. 1st off i covered it with cardboard and mulch. Where it broke thru i recovered w cardbrd n mulch...several times. A very slow process. People assurred me i would never get rid of it. I persevered trying new things. This finally worked... 1. Mulch up to a grass free border (the runners can travel 10' and the grass you have covered gets fed by nearby uncovered grass). Then i sprayed some grass improver on the well soaked area b4 immediately covering with cardbrd n THICK mulch. I found green mulch to be the best mulch...better than aged. I discovered this when i got an unexpected delivery of green mulch so had it dumped on an uncovered area of verge. I moved it about 4 weeks later and noted after a few weeks of baring the ground the grass was not coming back. The green mulch here is off eucalypts and the oil has a very strong smell. I have weak lungs so that is why i left it for a month. I suspect the pungent oil off the newly dropped leaves discourages growth under the parent tree... Anyway, i used green mulch piled very thick thereafter. NO sign of the grass. I did still use cardboard under the mulch but i dont think i needed to. Finally, i 100% agree. Do not plant untill the grass is dead. It pays to be patient. :)

[@funnywolffarm]

I've never heard anyone claim that sheeting with cardboard or paper/etc was adding nutrients to the soil building process. Typically it is for suppressing weeds and perhaps adding organic material to improve soil structure after a couple applications. It's just a method to be used in moments of 'reset' for a small area in need. I agree with most everything you've mentioned here, but I'm a bit confused about what message you were trying to get across. A follow up video would be welcome.

[@GARDENER42]

Carbon is a macronutrient for plants. Heck, plants are around 45% carbon.

[@JamesFulkerson-q7n]

Worms say they love cardboard and leaves i herd them say so

[@williamslater-vf5ym]

I dont see the problem with it taking a year to break down. A lot of things do.

[@leavesongrass]

Thank you. This is the first video on sheet mulching to address the possibility of toxins in the cardboard!

[@jeremiahbullfrog9288]

What if you pee on the cardboard to add nitrogen?

[@loreka8585]

Can someone tell me whats the conclusion? My English is not the best

[@corruptauthor]

Card board is pure carbohydrates. Germs love it as it also holds water. The earth worms will come and eat the germs living in the cardboard. The worms and other insects aerate soil underneath and also had nutrients under the cardboard. I use cardboard with no mulch to convert dry clay into humas nutrient soil in 4 months.

[@Gardenfundamentals1]

Cardboard is mostly cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. It contains very little carbohydrates.

[@ArthurDentZaphodBeeb]

Conflate cellulose with carbohydrates? Oh, my!

[@corruptauthor]

I guess every one thinks carbohydrates are some kind of rich food source. It's just complex sugars. It's broken down into sugars. Cardboard is pure energy and soil life will love it. Thought it not fertile in anyway it will attrack all the other elements Into the soil

[@corruptauthor]

And Don't Kill the Messenger but cellulose is a carbohydrate because you guys are using Google for your information and not looking at molecules structures you're confusing what a material provides versus its structure

[@ponytaclub5539]

Recommend watching courses on soil food web, available in KZbin for free

[@Gardenfundamentals1]

Except many of those course promote ideas that are not science based and don't work. You have to be able to pick through the fact and the fiction in those.

[@kurt2272]

I would put the newspaper and cardboard down in reverse shingle technique. Morag Gamble explains. Putting the paper down like shingles allows the water to flow off. Reverse shingles technique allows the water to flow under the next piece laid down. Check her out !

[@Gardenfundamentals1]

sheets of paper soon stick together so no water flows under sheets.

[@DavidMFChapman]

I have had good results using cardboard topped with mulch to eliminate goutweed patches in my yard.

[@Justiceforallforever]

Hi. I've never run into such weed issues before so I have almost know knowledge about this battle - so my question is desperately serious but may seem stupid. After putting down the cardboard you suggested that clippings can be used on top as a mulch. We have lot's but much of the clippings contain weeds! How, if or when should we use it. Can anybody help me understand. I've been obsessed but feeling unsure (even hopeless) about just about it for a long time. So glad I stumbled upon this. Thank you so much for any answers!

[@rogerbox2540]

Glad to get some scientific facts instead of anecdotal observations.

[@chrisconnell2147]

which is better ,layering a raised bed or mixing the composition ?

[@Gardenfundamentals1]

Depends on the material, but it is better to mix in most cases.

[@theworkingmansgarden7638]

"Inks are plant based"...maybe don't just regurgitate what you've heard online without knowing what ACTUALLY in the ink. Just a thought from a 20 yr box maker. I'll be making a video soon, if anyone would like to know what's ACTUALLY in those inks.

[@Gardenfundamentals1]

Here are the references to confirm what I said in the video www.gardenmyths.com/safe-compost-paper-cardboard/