Today’s video is all about getting weeds and grass out of your planting beds. Try this easy method to get rid of unwanted weeds in just a few minutes.
This method of removing weeds from planting beds is similar to sheet mulching. After identifying the weeds we remove an mulch that we want to save. After the mulch is raked to the side we can address the weeds or in this case the grass that is growing in my planting beds.
There is no easy way to remove this many weeds but as long as the weeds or grass is contained to one location it wont take too long to remove with a little manual labor. As you can see in the video I take my shovel and undercut the grass. Go a few inches under the soil surface to make sure you remove most of the roots. Some grasses and weeds spread by roots, those roots need to be removed entirely.
After all the weeds and roots are removed it is time to cover the area with cardboard. The cardboard will decompose after awhile so it is best to remove any plastic packing tape before using an old cardboard. Any plastic remaining on the box will mostly appear on your soil surface eventually!
Cover the area with cardboard, 2-3 or more layers of cardboard is ideal as it does decompose quicker than you think. At this point some people like to wet the cardboard. If you have a hose handy, then go for it. I find that the cardboard will get wet naturally once a few rains occur so this step isn’t always necessary.
Once your area is covered with cardboard it is time to apply a thick layer of mulch over the cardboard. The more mulch or wood chips the better, 3-6 inches is great. Be sure to cover the cardboard completely, go past the edges and smooth out the mulch to create the desired appearance.
Sheet mulching like this is a great way to stop weed seeds from emerging in your planting beds and a wonderful use of waste cardboard!
We remove the weeds or in this case the grass with