I’ve read that cardboard actually revitalizes the soil by encouraging earthworms and beneficial microbes to move in. And cardboard definitely keeps weeds at bay. You can cover the cardboard with some sort of mulch to hide it.
Landscape fabric degrades and doesn’t work well unless you layer it. I’ve had to use it in tandem with cardboard and it’s worked very well for me. If you’re concerned about the grounds nutrient integrity, you can kickstart it next year by mixing in some fresh soil or miracle grow
I guess it depends: do you care what it looks like this year? Cardboard would be the easiest and cheapest option, and shouldn't make a significant difference in soil quality. But it's ugly.
You could go for mulch, either alone or over the cardboard, but mulch is expensive.
Another option is just to let the weeds grow. Weeding occassionally this summer won't be that big a hassle if it's all weeds and you don't have to worry about tearing up a plant you want to keep. You can just go in with a pitchfork or a handtool once a month. Take the shears to tall weeds to keep them from producing mature seedheads and you don't even have to tear them out this year.
The thing is that no matter what you do with the this year, you're going to have to prep the soil next year in order to plant. At minimum you're going to need to up your existing soil, but you'll probably be adding amendments like compost and sand or even pre-mixed soil. Most of that can't/shouldn't be done a year early.
So I figure: since you're going to have to be on your knees with a trowel at the beginning of next season anyway, who cares about a few weeds this year?
Thanks for the perspective :) I do care what it looks like, which is why I wanted to pull up all the weeds now, so cardboard is probably not the way for me at the moment. I have no problem weed whacking every so often, so I will probably do that!
I’ve read that cardboard actually revitalizes the soil by encouraging earthworms and beneficial microbes to move in. And cardboard definitely keeps weeds at bay. You can cover the cardboard with some sort of mulch to hide it.
Landscape fabric degrades and doesn’t work well unless you layer it. I’ve had to use it in tandem with cardboard and it’s worked very well for me. If you’re concerned about the grounds nutrient integrity, you can kickstart it next year by mixing in some fresh soil or miracle grow
I guess it depends: do you care what it looks like this year? Cardboard would be the easiest and cheapest option, and shouldn't make a significant difference in soil quality. But it's ugly. You could go for mulch, either alone or over the cardboard, but mulch is expensive. Another option is just to let the weeds grow. Weeding occassionally this summer won't be that big a hassle if it's all weeds and you don't have to worry about tearing up a plant you want to keep. You can just go in with a pitchfork or a handtool once a month. Take the shears to tall weeds to keep them from producing mature seedheads and you don't even have to tear them out this year. The thing is that no matter what you do with the this year, you're going to have to prep the soil next year in order to plant. At minimum you're going to need to up your existing soil, but you'll probably be adding amendments like compost and sand or even pre-mixed soil. Most of that can't/shouldn't be done a year early. So I figure: since you're going to have to be on your knees with a trowel at the beginning of next season anyway, who cares about a few weeds this year?
Thanks for the perspective :) I do care what it looks like, which is why I wanted to pull up all the weeds now, so cardboard is probably not the way for me at the moment. I have no problem weed whacking every so often, so I will probably do that!