How to get started using sheet mulching to kill weeds | Gardening 101 | Gardening Australia
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 10 ต.ค. 2022
- Sheet mulching is a useful technique for getting rid of weeds in large areas of your garden. It’s cheap, effective and a way to kill weeds without using herbicides. Subscribe 🔔 ab.co/GA-subscribe
Using newspaper or cardboard as a layer underneath mulch will smother the weeds by denying them sunlight so that they rot away.
Sophie uses this method extensively throughout her garden and has fine-tuned the process.
How to lay sheet mulch:
1. Use a lawnmower on its lowest setting to ‘scalp’ the weeds you want to smother, right down to the soil level.
2. Water the area well and then fertilise.
Fertilising promotes new growth, but because the weeds will be denied sunlight, the new growth will simply rot away. If this part is not done properly the weeds may not die as easily, and in dryer conditions, you may need to increase the watering to promote their growth.
3. Prepare the sheet material
You can use 5 layers of newspaper or non-wax cardboard to create a base. Remove plastic tape from the cardboard, as it is not only non-biodegradable, it will also stop the layers of cardboard bonding together to suppress the weeds.
4. Cover the area with sheet material
Make sure the layers overlap each other properly and be mindful of any holes in the cardboard or between the layers. Weeds will take advantage of any openings they can find, and areas that are exposed will allow weeds to grow through, so cover open areas with an additional layer.
5. Lay over the mulch
Cover the surface with heavy mulch, Sophie uses bark chip mulch. A thick layer of around 3cm should be enough to avoid breaks or openings forming over time; weeds will make a break for it at any opportunity.
6. Be patient
Depending on the type of weed, it may take up to six months to rot away. If you become too enthusiastic about planting here before they’ve broken down, the weeds will take advantage of the planting holes and will grow right next to your new plants. Similarly, garden art or fence posts that puncture through the layers will create an escape hatch for weeds.
7. Stay on your guard
Be aware of weed seeds entering the patch from other areas or creeping in via underground growth which can invade the hard lining of the sheet mulch bed.
Sheet mulching is a great addition to any gardener's repertoire. To be effective it takes effort and consistency, but with a little know-how, you can turn any patch of weeds into a beautiful garden without the use of herbicides.
___________________________________________
Gardening Australia is an ABC TV program providing gardening know-how and inspiration. Presented by Australia's leading horticultural experts, Gardening Australia is a valuable resource to all gardeners through the television program, the magazine, books, DVDs and extensive online content.
Watch more: iview.abc.net.au/programs/gard...
Facebook: / gardeningaustralia
Instagram: / gardeningaustralia
Web: www.abc.net.au/gardening
___________________________________________
This is an official Australian Broadcasting Corporation TH-cam channel. Contributions may be removed if they violate ABC's Online Conditions of Use www.abc.net.au/conditions.htm (Section 3). - บันเทิง
I wish I had seen this before I tried it a year ago (and made some of the mistakes Sophie warned about!). I will try again, armed with my new knowledge.
I've found a great recipe for destroying weeds in the pavers and gravel, using 8% vinegar 2 litres, from the supermarket. Add 2 tablespoons dish liquid to help it adhere to the leaves. Add 1 tablespoon of salt. Better than any organic gear from the shops for killing weeds. Works fast too. But if you add the salt, don't use where future gardens will be.
I use this technique in my garden but not near the house because I’ve found that termites LOVE the cardboard and I have no interest in encouraging those bastards anywhere near the house.
I’ve found that too
How great and useful💚💚
Great video and advise.
Morning folks ❤
Some gardeners opt for hessian bags. I did that method and it mostly worked, except for a minor detail (my stupidity) of not covering it near the stumps. I used hessian bags, but noticed it strangled my banana trees so i reverted to newspaper
Thank you for this info. I have a QUESTION: my pest control man said cardboard like a smorgasboard for white ants. Because we had white ants before I was affraid to use cardboard or newspaper. Can you please comment on this dillema? Thank you. I am in Northern Rivers area.
How to stay on top of kikuyu? Keep pulling them out?
If only this worked on Morning Glory! 😞
I need to do this on a rather steep slope. Im worried all the mulch will just wash down the hill!
I rather just plant groundcover that you don't need to spend much time maintaining
You put the groundcover in within the mulched area, then not much maintaining. You'll have too much weed competition with your ground covers if you don't suppress weeds first..
@@Womble1252 that's true, thanks for the tip
@@potapotapotapotapotapota no probs, if you find a good spot you'd like to plant within the pre-sheet mulched area, just dig through the mulch to the paper/carboard (wetting it helps), and make a circle hole through it to put your plantings in. Worth it in the long term. I use my hands to cut the paper/cardboard away just in this circle, then use a manual post hole digger to remove soil (or hand shovel)..ezy pezy. Try your local newsagent and get bales of old newspapers before they recycle them, and put the bale in a wheelbarrow full of water to soak before taking minimum 8 sheets together at a time, overlap them by at least 10cm's layed out. Throw mulch on. The only weed that will have go through this eventially is couch grass, just pull it out with roots n all 👍
Maybe spray with a salt and vinegar mix first to nuke the weeds.