"AL_n" wrote in
:


I've just turned about 25sq mtrs of my rather wild back garden into
veggie beds. After removing the turf, I dug the ground over and mixed
in several barrowloads of last summer's compost, which appeared to be
about 75% rotted down, but I judged it to be OK for digging into the
new veg beds to improve the somewhat clayish, soil. The compost was
made from a well-mixed mixture of stable straw, horse manure, and
grass turfs and grass clippings.

Next came the question of what to cover it all with, to save myself
hours of weeding, come Spring. Someone here suggested "Polyethylenus
negra". I decided to try "Boxus Cardbordinus Maxima"! After all, it's
free.

After covering every inch of the beds, I wetted it all down
thoroughly, and placed large stones every 2ft or so, to prevent the
stuff from blowing away. I am a bit concerned about the wind; I live
in a spot that can get very windy indeed quite frequently, especially
in winter. I wonder if my stones will suffice. My research tells me
that most people cover the cardboard in a couple of inches of tree
bark or other mulch. I'd like to avoid shelling out for tree bark if I
can help it. I do have a great pile of grass sods that I could use for
extra weighting-down, but I'm not sure how that would work out. I also
enough remaining half-rotted compost to cover the cardboard to a depth
of about 1", but I fear that would just blow away, as soon as the
first dry, windy day arrived!

Perhaps someone here who has first-hand experience of this muching
method could advise me if they thing the stone-weighting method will
be satisfactory or not...

Thank you..

Al


If you are worried you can fill milk cartons with water and put them in
spaces where you think the most damaging winds will come from.
Worry about mulch in spring, when the weeds rear that ugly head.

I am doing what you are doing, and no I have no first hand experience but I
do know that I have weighted milk containers to keep my netting firmly on
the ground, and subsequently my "Polyethylenus negra" (Black polythene) has
blocked out any sunlight that has prompted the weeds to re-grow.

"Boxus Cardbordinus Maxima", just make sure you take out the staples and
give them to someone who can use them, or alternativly, you should use them
where "Helius non Shinious"

Baz