FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

I'm about to tear out a bunch of grass (and weeds) from a large area and replace it with mulched beds and am trying to decide between a layer of weed mat or cardboard under the mulch. I like the benefits of cardboard, but has anyone tried this and found it to be effective?

I think it would brake down to quickly

I've had some cardboard under some stacks of bricks and it took about a year to break down under the bricks and is still semi-intact where it was exposed. Maybe it would break down faster being under wood mulch. If it could hold back the grass for a year, I'd be happy with that. I could replace it after a year and I feel like after that, any originally surviving grass should be dead and hopefully many of whatever weed seeds were buried as well?

I just thin the mulch will let more water get to it and its lifespan would be shortened substantially.

I'm going to give it a try and will use a double layer of cardboard everywhere for these reasons summed up here:

1. Landscape Fabric Blocks Rain
2. Weed Barrier Sucks the Life out of Your Soil
3. Weeds can grow under, in between, and on top of it

I definitely don't want weeds growing on top of it and I want the mulch to be able to feed the soil as it breaks down. I can always shovel the mulch out of the way and lay down new barriers next year if I have to. Where I do think it is good and will be using it is under some gravel walkways where I don't want anything growing at all.

Keep us updated on this. I've traditionally used weed barrier, but if this is a better alternative which it sounds like it is. I would consider using it in the future.

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I use cardboard and thick layers of newspaper as a weed barrier for my vegetable garden. It works very well for me. A layer of mulch will keep it from breaking down quickly.

I think the best part is when the growing season is over you can leave things alone for the winter and if your cardboard is broken down in spring, you can just mix it in the soil and put a new layer of cardboard over it.

Just remember to take off the mulch before you mix in the cardboard since many types of mulch, especially pine bark, will deplete the nitrogen in your soil.

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twitterglitter wrote:I use cardboard and thick layers of newspaper as a weed barrier for my vegetable garden. It works very well for me. A layer of mulch will keep it from breaking down quickly.

I think the best part is when the growing season is over you can leave things alone for the winter and if your cardboard is broken down in spring, you can just mix it in the soil and put a new layer of cardboard over it.

Just remember to take off the mulch before you mix in the cardboard since many types of mulch, especially pine bark, will deplete the nitrogen in your soil.

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My experience with cardboard or paper is it attracts rolly Polly's, bugs.

Why does the soil need to absorb nutrients from decomposing matter if it's covered with rocks permanently? I would put a layer of thick plastic down and put the gravel on top. Or you can put down sand and then gravel. You can put down tar and pour pea gravel on top for that matter.
I don't think it's possible to have anything that grass and stuff won't grow in. Just my opinion. Just too many uncontrollable variables. Here in the South we put down pavers that grass grows in. Just mow over it and you still have a cool walkway or driveway. Or build a wooden walkway, just my 2 cents

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FlyTrap Hunter wrote: Why does the soil need to absorb nutrients from decomposing matter if it's covered with rocks permanently? I would put a layer of thick plastic down and put the gravel on top.

It doesn't, that's what I meant:

xr280xr wrote:Where I do think it is good and will be using it is under some gravel walkways where I don't want anything growing at all.

Grass will grow everywhere, but I'm just trying to stop 90+% of what's already there from filling back in - primarily the bermuda from growing back from rhizomes & roots - without choking out the soil or having to spray roundup everywhere. Given that bermuda grass dies off in shade on its own, I'm crossing my fingers that after being cut out and then blocked from light and physically blocked from searching it out for several months to a year, it will be too weak to make a comeback in mass.

Sorry about earlier my post. I was just letting you know it works for me in Tennessee. My yard used to be a pasture and the cardboard kills the grass and other weeds.

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xr280xr wrote:

FlyTrap Hunter wrote: Why does the soil need to absorb nutrients from decomposing matter if it's covered with rocks permanently? I would put a layer of thick plastic down and put the gravel on top.

It doesn't, that's what I meant:

xr280xr wrote:Where I do think it is good and will be using it is under some gravel walkways where I don't want anything growing at all.

Grass will grow everywhere, but I'm just trying to stop 90+% of what's already there from filling back in - primarily the bermuda from growing back from rhizomes & roots - without choking out the soil or having to spray roundup everywhere. Given that bermuda grass dies off in shade on its own, I'm crossing my fingers that after being cut out and then blocked from light and physically blocked from searching it out for several months to a year, it will be too weak to make a comeback in mass.

Well then the cardboard might work for that. My experience is even Roundup doesn't kill burmuda grass. And the mesh fabric you can buy to keep weeds out doesn't really work either. But you can still get a thick plastic and lay it down. Cut out around your plants.
I would go with the Roundup 1 time and then cover it up. But be careful and not do it on a windy day and wear pants to cover your legs because there are statistics that show that it increases your chances of skin cancer by 800 percent.
In my experience I have had to just dig it all out. And it still comes back a little. I have worked for nurseries and high-end landscaping/design companies over the years and burmuda grass and dollar plants are about the worst things to get rid of.
Good luck with it and thanks for sharing your projects with us.

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twitterglitter wrote:Sorry about earlier my post. I was just letting you know it works for me in Tennessee. My yard used to be a pasture and the cardboard kills the grass and other weeds.

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I wasn't blowing you up Twitterglitter. Its just my experience and we all have different experiences. It's all good.

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FlyTrap Hunter wrote: I would go with the Roundup 1 time and then cover it up. But be careful and not do it on a windy day and wear pants to cover your legs because there are statistics that show that it increases your chances of skin cancer by 800 percent.
In my experience I have had to just dig it all out. And it still comes back a little. I have worked for nurseries and high-end landscaping/design companies over the years and burmuda grass and dollar plants are about the worst things to get rid of.

I'm not surprised. Supposedly it can grow back from roots and they can extend down up to 6 ft!. Thanks for your feedback. I'm sure your advice is all correct and good advice. I may use some roundup around the borders, but I really don't like using it. They're finding it in ponds, lakes, and water supplies...everywhere. I don't want to contribute to any accidental runoff into one of those.

Maybe I should use some plastic or permeable barrier and just pull it back up in a couple years. I just didn't want the mulch composting down and creating a new layer for weeds to grow on top of the barrier, but at least it would stop the grass.

I'm not sure if this will help your situation or not, but you can use straight white vinegar to kill the top of the grass. It's doesn't kill every kind of weed or grass, but it will put a stop to a lot of it.

The issue with it is the smell and you have to repeat spray until it stops coming back. Inevitably, no matter what you do it will come back eventually, but this could help you stay ahead of it without using poison.

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xr280xr wrote:

FlyTrap Hunter wrote: I would go with the Roundup 1 time and then cover it up. But be careful and not do it on a windy day and wear pants to cover your legs because there are statistics that show that it increases your chances of skin cancer by 800 percent.
In my experience I have had to just dig it all out. And it still comes back a little. I have worked for nurseries and high-end landscaping/design companies over the years and burmuda grass and dollar plants are about the worst things to get rid of.

I'm not surprised. Supposedly it can grow back from roots and they can extend down up to 6 ft!. Thanks for your feedback. I'm sure your advice is all correct and good advice. I may use some roundup around the borders, but I really don't like using it. They're finding it in ponds, lakes, and water supplies...everywhere. I don't want to contribute to any accidental runoff into one of those.

Maybe I should use some plastic or permeable barrier and just pull it back up in a couple years. I just didn't want the mulch composting down and creating a new layer for weeds to grow on top of the barrier, but at least it would stop the grass.

There is a thick commercial plastic you can get. It might come in terracotta colors also but I know there is black plastic. And there are metal stakes to tie it down and I would highly recommend those also. They are sort of shaped like a U. Otherwise the wind will blow all your good work away. I am about to plant a garden myself. Yeah its Spring.

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