When I first started gardening, I used weed fabrics underneath a layer of mulch. I had never lived anywhere long enough to fully realize the long-term results of fabrics. When we moved into our current home three years ago, the garden beds were a mess. Eight-months pregnant, I began weeding the beds - it must have looked a bit comical to watch me leaning over a giant belly, cursing weeds whose roots were bound to a disintegrating layer of fabric.
That’s what happens to weed fabrics, I quickly learned. Covered with a layer of mulch, they begin to disintegrate, as just about everything does. Weeds become tangled in the fabric weave and when you pull them out, up comes the fabric with it, usually with a long tear. I was pulling out small pieces of fabric with every weed, then carefully separating the fabric from the roots so I could toss the unwanted materials accordingly.
If fabric doesn’t work, then what does?
As you can see in this delightfully cheesy video, cardboard acts as a weed suppressant. It isn’t a magic, cure-all. At the bottom of my raised beds, I put several layers of cardboard - what’s in this video is just the very first layer. Over the cardboard, I’ll put mulch - such as pine needles and rotted logs. Then, I’ll fill with compost and soil. Each year, I’ll renew this process. Cardboard, thick layer of mulch, and compost. Sometimes, if the beds have compacted over the summer, I’ll also mix in some fresh soil in the spring.
This is tough work. But it’s working with the Earth and her natural cycles. It’s understanding how things break down. It’s coming to realize the absolute tenacity of weeds.
I’m writing this with very sore muscles after an afternoon of hauling soil, pulling weeds, and reminding my body what gardening feels like.
Happy spring - and happy gardening!
