Last year, I stopped using my organic vegetable garden because of back problems. I used to manage the weeds by hand, but I lost control of it when I laid down some cardboard in the fall without securing it properly. Turns out, storms scattered the cardboard, and now I have a jungle of weeds this spring! I collected some bricks and got more cardboard, and I'm set on doing it right this time. However, the weeds are gigantic, and I'm not sure if my stirrup hoe will do the trick.
So, here's my question: Do I need to completely get rid of the weeds before I lay down the cardboard? Should I use any organic sprays to deal with them beforehand? By the way, I haven't decided what to plant in the spring—perhaps wildflowers instead of the usual tomatoes and peppers.
TL;DR: What's the best way to organically eliminate a massive weed problem?
2 Answers
I had my partner use a weed whacker to cut the weeds down low first, then I laid out cardboard sheets I got from Costco and added a thick layer of mulch on top. A few big rocks worked well to keep everything in place until the mulch was settled. Make sure to soak it all down unless it’s going to rain soon! After a few weeks, I planted some small flowers, and they flourished. Just so you know, I’ve had success spreading wildflower seeds right at the first rainfall in autumn, and I ended up with lots of beautiful poppies and native flowers. I still had some weeds, but it became easier to pull them out once I recognized what was what!
I think the best way to handle it is to use compost or mulch on top of the cardboard to help smother those weeds and eventually turn them into good soil. I'd recommend avoiding any herbicides, even organic ones. Just try to mow or yank out as many of the weeds as you can, cover it all up with compost, and it should be in decent shape by spring. You might have to do a bit of weeding afterward, but it should be manageable!
A mini tiller works wonders if you can get your hands on one!
Does that mean I can skip the bricks for holding down the cardboard?