Piscanthropus is correct, it will smother weeds/grass..whatever. To
break up clay you need to ammend with plenty of AGED manure, peat
moss...but this takes many seasons to do so. My method known as lasagna
gardening, is instantaneous and cheap! Apply topsoil at a ratio of 12'
for perennials...24" for shrubs, and plant immediately.
Ldymac

Piscanthropus Profundus wrote:

The thick layer of newspaper smothers the weeds and grass with no waiting.

"Lil" wrote in message
om...
So how does it work? Is it a cheaper and faster variation on the
weedmat? That and the newspaper providing biodegradable material
which will loosen up the clay soil?

Lil


(Faye Lifford-Earle) wrote in message
...
Not knowing your location Lil, I chose the safest of ansers. I too live
with an abundance of clay...AND my backyard has a great slope to it too.
What I have done is fast, easy, economical and best of allit WORKS!
Lay newspaper 4-6 papers thick over your weed infested area. Wet the
paper thoroughly! You may now cover with soil....mulch...whatever., and
plant immediately.
In 2000, I turned an area into a lovely semi shaded garden...by the
end of that same season, plants were thriving wonderfully. Don't snub
clay soil, it is rich in ammendments Lil.
Ldymac
Lil wrote:

Hi!

My family recently purchased a home, but we have to landscape our own
backyard. We have clay soil, and a slope on which the back fence
sits. The climate during the winter's pretty damp and foggy so it's
pretty muddy lately. However, now that the weather's getting warm,
we're having a lot of marsh grass infesting our yard. After weeks of
backbreaking weeding, we decided to weedmat a significant portion of
the yard and cover the mat with woodchips. My question is is weedmat
on the back slope, or for that matter clay soil, a bad idea? Won't it
retain more water?

We've also decided to have a pavingstone patio. Does anyone know how
much a patio about 12x 15 or more should cost to build? Does anyone
know any major chain home improvement store will install a paito for
us?

Thanks in advance for your help!

Lil