Hi Doug WARNING: Termites will feed on cardboard just as they do on wood or other cellulose products. The plants would still be planted in the soil proper, just using the cardboard to suppress weeds in this area. The function of science is not to disprove anything (though often it does). There are beneficial bacteria and fungi that make your plants stronger and more able to resist disease. On top of crushed gravel gravel 2" diameter and smaller, the 8'x14' shed will sit on 4"x6" of larch separated 16" on center, with larch joists and then a moisture barrier below hemlock planking. Put weed barrier fabric on top of biodegradable cardboard on top of rebar so my water saving artificial grass wont sink. Oxygen is needed for soil life; the more oxygen there is, the deeper life can exist. If I had only looked at the first few links in my search, I would have thought it relatively benign to put cardboard out but I too have tenacity and deep curiousity so Im happy to have found your info. days. Im wondering if I could design an experiment to test the hypothesis: After two months, using 12 of woodchip mulch to suppress weeds results in more soil organisms under the area than using cardboard covered with 3 of mulch., The null hypothesis would be, what, something like: After two months, using 12 of woodchip mulch to suppress weeds does not result in more soil organisms under the area than using cardboard covered with 3 of mulch?. NOTE: Technically 'cardboard' is not the same as 'corrugated fiberboard'. Lay single sheets of cardboard over the entire garden plot. AI Score system was built by our team of professionals. Step 2: Basic Shape. Trim down long weeds or grasses as short as possible and remove any rocks so that the cardboard will lay flat on the soil. Its bad for the planet, its bad for your soil. Its not the type of project that funding agencies would care much about so its not too surprising that no one has done it yet. I use a yard of carpet at the boundary between garden and weeds to keep the weeds from invading. If you are not willing to use mulch or herbicide, then you either need to pull everything by hand or get goats. Thanks for your thoughts. Yes bare soil passes more CO2 into the atmosphere and that is the reason bare soil ends up depleted in Carbon. We know that fungus breaks down cellulose material, not bacteria. Having a combined treatment of cardboard plus chips is two variables. There is no such thing as humus in nature; its made by extracting organic material with strong alkali reagents (around pH 12). After reading your article I understand why cardboard isnt the best option. I hope that soil scientists have published research that measure the effects of cardboard mulching at this end stage. Gravel or rocks will hold the cardboard in place, even during high winds, as long as you secure the edges down. . Are you in an area with ChipDrop? To begin, remove the top layer of soil or rocks from the driveway area. I will not use heavy duty pesticides as we dont want to contaminate the ground water & well. (Also humus doesnt exist in nature. At this point, has the soil gone back to the CO2 diffusion coefficient levels you show in the diagram? Others are just black or clear plastic. Using cardboard as a liner for the bottom of your raised beds to deter weeds from growing up is just one of many garden uses for cardboard. Weve knowingly and willingly introduced so many chemicals into our food and water supply, some at levels we thought were safe some we didnt even consider unsafe. Gardens always look amazing that have been planted into a lasagne bedhappy plants=good soil. It'll also mean the water doesn't spill out of one side! You can mulch with cardboard by making sure to use cardboard that doesn't have any plastic or duct tape on it. Dig your drive. Seems pretty obvious conclusion. But, and Im surprised this hasnt been brought up previously, is the idea that the rate of CO2 diffusion is in any way related to the level of CO2 or oxygen in the soil. When you chipped your lawn, did you avoid hanging out around it or wear a mask all the time or what? ON the other hand, arborist chips maintain the highest soil moisture. I plan on installing new 5/8 plywood in place of the particle board. As you say, its behind a paywall but the abstract states, Despite the different diffusion coefficients of the different mulches, CO2 and O2 concentrations in the soil under the various mulches were not significantly different as compared to the control. Hope its not too late for this to help! It is also a remnant product of the patriarchy that has subjugated wise women and country folk for hundreds if not thousands of years. I have left plastic bags of mulch in my driveway more than once for a couple of weeks and when I go to move them, there are multiple worms under there. These are the same people who claim to be organic gardeners, yet use plastic cups and containers throughout the gardening process. Based on the discussion above, I will forego a cardboard layer! How do you lay a weed membrane under gravel? How do earthworms compete with your plants ? And you want to plant your plant into the soil not on top of cardboard. Where can I find an old work ceiling box for armored cable? I do take the time to remove any tape or plastic labels from the boxes. can be a great mulch. Once under control I intend to plant natives. OK, Im calling BS. You can, of course, do whatever you choose. The diverse evidence on the issue of cardboard as a mulch is of great interest to me. They are all adhered by corn startch, not glues. But then I read here that Id want to wear a mask when working around the chip pile because of fungal spores. Would it be possible to provide title, authors, publication date so perhaps I can access through my librarys database collection? Do you not think that since there are no peer-reviewed papers on the subject of cardboard as a mulch then it would be difficult to draw any conclusion about its effectiveness? It is also pretty heavy and will scratch up a floor. Responsible educators dont make recommendations based on anecdotal observations. When you finish go ahead and mulch over the soil. Then cover the cardboard layer with soil . We certainly dont do medicine that way. Wood mulch requires about four inches to weigh down the cardboard. 8 years ago. There is no sheet mulch that I would ever recommend for weed control given the lack of efficacy and the damage incurred. And at the end of the day, nothing exists except atoms and empty space. Without light, you will have no seedlings surviving to reach the surface of a deep mulch. As soon as the chips wear down below 4 inches just a bit, those plants come back. I am now using beneficial nematodes and other insect predators and mulch and avoiding all pesticides and herbicides. Hi Dr. Chalker- Scott, have you found evidence that mulching with cardboard cardboard raises the PH in your soil; therefore, binding the nutrients in the soil? That fact alone should steer you clear of ever using any sheet mulch. This will prevent any warping and any unnecessary strain on the tub. This is anecdotal evidence (as Im sure you know) and doesnt compare the method to others that dont interfere with water and gas movement. I just read about 25% of the comments here, and I have to say you are one of the most patient people on the planet. These are good things to consider . Also, common earthworms are technically an exotic species in America. River rock requires a weed barrier fabric to be laid underneath it to prevent weeds and also to prevent the rock from sinking into the soil. Thank you! I recommend a soil test before you add anything else to your soil. Two questions: What is the best product for levelling out the low/uneven areas of this old floor? Linda: my brother shares your science-or-death philosophy (are you also triple vaxxed? Unfortunately, it isn't. Do I need to put weed barrier under gravel? I really appreciate your responding to my inquiry & am sooo glad I ran into this article before doing anymore sheet mulching! It is not topsoil and it is not natural. Remove weeds and carefully take out plants you want to keep and introduce back into your gravel garden. Landscape fabric under gravel works especially well because the weight of the gravel helps hold the fabric in place. Do you have any feedback about organic materials for separation and stabilization? Alternatively hire someone to use a bobcat to level the soil & remove the top layer with weeds in it, then topsoil with compost & then sow seeds. Expect your larch in contact with the ground/gravel to rot. Healthy soil = healthy planet. In addition to this make sure the cardboard mulch is not in . However, weeds that spread underground continue to receive resources from the population outside the mulch, so yes they will grow through. Both are peer-reviewed. If you have published evidence that disagrees with the research to date on mulches of any stripe, feel free to cite it. I now realize its not the best for soil health (didnt know that at the time), but will that soil health not improve once the cardboard softens and decomposes? In a real world, soil is full not just of microbes, but roots and animals tlat all require oxygen. Is there a correlation with growth/productivity and, if so, is there causality? Then this is certainly not the blog for you. How can I get a huge Saturn-like ringed moon in the sky? ft of lawn to landscape. If it's a concern, Try using some 2-3" pipe or flex tubing. Since there now is published research comparing a single sheet of cardboard to 4 of arborist chip mulch (among other treatments) and finding a ten-fold decrease in gas exchange ability we can say there is published research showing that sheet mulches, including cardbaord, are a poor choice if we are concerned about oxygen and carbon dioxide moving between the soil and the atmospher. You say there is nothing to support the use of cardboard so I guess you may subscribe to that view. Absent that information, all we have is published evidence about worm behavior, comparative mulch characteristics, and cardboard manufacture. And to figure out what to do about the area I have already sheet mulched, some of which I have already planted into. Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window), Understanding how weird weather affects our plants, Predicting hurricane tracks and what they leave behind, Irrigation bags: the good (rarely), the bad (frequently) and the ugly (all of them), Chuang and Chen demonstrated this nicely in 2008, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WdM__pw7Sk, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/315662938_Using_arborist_wood_chips_as_a_landscape_mulch_WSU_Extension_Fact_Sheet_FS160E, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/315662987_Scientific_literacy_for_the_citizen_scientist_WSU_Extension_Manual_EM100E, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/285739101_Impact_of_mulches_on_landscape_plants_and_the_environment_-_A_review?_sg=acoel-UtYrRrzRH87Cw2l66FWOxkPToxyGoJ-E49dIsN5_AZoDQVpM686X0E0SmdRDwgA8dqwzSNJMTKjwTRb5D44618wmHwsnKguXE1.yLe69PXeAqqfONrpigIupt97uEY8nFsdopZztas81Af-JE7A8ti5JkX5QOkp8kqL8z2FZV1uYafapYPdD5nnFQ, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/315662938_Using_arborist_wood_chips_as_a_landscape_mulch_WSU_Extension_Fact_Sheet_FS160E?_sg=acoel-UtYrRrzRH87Cw2l66FWOxkPToxyGoJ-E49dIsN5_AZoDQVpM686X0E0SmdRDwgA8dqwzSNJMTKjwTRb5D44618wmHwsnKguXE1.yLe69PXeAqqfONrpigIupt97uEY8nFsdopZztas81Af-JE7A8ti5JkX5QOkp8kqL8z2FZV1uYafapYPdD5nnFQ, http://gardenprofessors.com/how-to-get-rid-of-your-lawn/, https://meridian.allenpress.com/jeh/article/25/4/239/80254/Impact-of-Mulches-on-Landscape-Plants-and-the, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S016719871930580X, http://www.uclan.ac.uk/staff_profiles/assets/PUBCATS_for_Web_1991_to_2007(1), https://sharepoint.cahnrs.wsu.edu/blogs/urbanhort/Media/JEH%2025(4)%20239-249.pdf, https://pubs.extension.wsu.edu/scientific-literacy-for-the-citizen-scientist, https://www.nature.com/articles/nature16069, http://gardenprofessors.com/a-tale-of-two-weeders-lessons-in-managing-aggressive-perennial-weeds/, https://www.theoaklandpress.com/news/nation-world-news/oakland-county-discontinues-program-to-prevent-spreading-of-invasive-species/article_aac5f1f2-dbd6-5520-83dd-f56ab11f6743.html, https://pubs.extension.wsu.edu/using-arborist-wood-chips-as-a-landscape-mulch-home-garden-series, https://awaytogarden.com/reducing-weeds-a-101-on-soil-solarization-with-sonja-birthisel/, https://www.nacaa.com/journal/index.php?jid=1024, https://gardenprofessors.com/how-to-get-rid-of-your-lawn/, Altpapier im Garten NICHT einsetzen! And some of the other type of coated boxes like butter is often displayed in? Also, as a side note: Dismissing gardener and folk wisdom (often gained through generations of painstaking trial and error and high attention to local microclimate detail) as simply anecdotal information and overly relying on dubiously funded science as fact is very dangerous, especially right now given corporate interest in trying to shut down grass roots food sovereignty movements. It depends on the species. Some seeds will inevitably germinate and sprout, however having a weed block barrier will keep the roots from getting a foothold in the soil. 7 ways to use cardboard in our gardens. Ive been experimenting with using cardboard in a different context. She conducts research in applied plant and soil sciences, publishing the results in scientific articles and university Extension fact sheets. My flower beds have other bushes and trees that I will need to preserve. Please do keep up your formal research, but be on guard for the influence of personal bias not only in reporting your results, but also in the way you construct your experiments. Can other then natural looking cardboard be used shredded also? Mulch does that by blocking light. Thank you for sharing your knowledge. Its shown conclusively that leaf litter can create temporary anaerobic conditions in the soil. Hi Linda! Avoid using boxes that have a lot of ink printing since these chemicals will eventually leach into the soil and pose a problem to your plants health. You might still get some weeds but probably no more than with wood chips. This blog promotes science and there is no published science behind using cardboard as a mulch. These are anecdotal observations. In a high-traffic area, the stones will eventually wear the thin fabric away. The verticle fluting direction gives strength to the board much like trying to crush a paper tube vertically. Ive much enjoyed reading all the comments and responses to this post over the last year or two. Obviously the folklore on using cardboard as mulch is well ingrained, and lots of people havent yet been persuaded out of it. Sorry I am late answering your question! Here are three reasons you should put landscape fabric under gravel: Landscape fabric is good for gravel because it prevents weeds from growing. The cardboard will get slippery and mushy over time so it's a short-term solution. The average river rock bed lasts 10-15 years. On the plus side, we eliminated the rannunculus and reed canary grass that was there, but on the minus side our initial plantings did not thrive and we had to replant with species that could handle the resulting heavier soils. Im not sure did you test damp cardboard vs. dry cardboard? For any soil. Corrugated cardboard is good for soundproofing. Surely burlap would partially exclude light and suppress some growth from plants you are trying to control? Your chart on CO2 gas diffusion In my opinion is an argument for mulching. Lastly, you make several comments about soil health being adversely affected by cardboard but I havent seen anything you provided to substantiate that from a scientific perspective. Q: I'm installing pre finished 3/4 thick by 4 wide hickory Flooring. I am tearing out the 5/8 particle board underlayment. There has been no depth found thats been published as being harmful to plant health. My guess is that you are doing so based on a hunch informed by a combination of your own anecdotal experiences and readings on related topics (see below). A: As long as the dips aren't, Q: I am in the process of buying solid hardwood maple flooring 2 1/4" with 3/4" thickness. Furthermore, you need to have more than 3 replicates for field trials.
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