Rant: My mom told me to just cover my garden soil with cardboard and it killed half my plants

Last spring I decided to try the cardboard mulching method my mom swore by for weed control. She said it would break down and feed the soil, no problem. I laid down a thick layer over my entire veggie patch in late March. By June, my tomatoes and peppers were stunted and yellowing. Turns out the cardboard created a barrier that starved the soil of air and water. Has anyone else had this fail for them or did I just do it wrong?

2 comments

2 Comments

campbell.david27d ago

Hold up, did you soak the cardboard before putting it down? In my experience, dry cardboard just sits there and repels water, but a good soaking helps it start breaking down and lets moisture get through. Also, was it plain brown cardboard or the shiny printed kind? The glossy stuff can have chemicals in the ink that mess with the soil. Your mom might have had better luck with a thinner layer or maybe she tore it up more than you did. Just my two cents, but how thick was that layer you put down?

simon_sanchez5827d ago

Huh, I always figured dry cardboard was fine as long as you put enough mulch on top. But reading your post I'm thinking maybe that's where I went wrong. Last spring I did a big bed in the back and just slapped dry boxes down, covered with wood chips, and the grass just kept poking right through. Next time I will soak it good overnight like you said. Also good point about the shiny printed stuff, I bet that was part of the trouble with a patch I tried near the garage.