Hey everyone! This is my first year trying out gardening, and I could use some advice on the layering I did for my garden bed. I put down a layer of goat manure last fall and then added cardboard over the winter to block weeds. Recently, I piled on a lot of one-year-old wood chips from a tree trimming we had done. My garden plot is 16x16 feet, and I think I have enough material.
Now, I'm wondering if I made a mistake by putting the cardboard above the manure instead of below it. I'm particularly concerned about whether the roots of my plants, like carrots and lettuce, will be able to penetrate the cardboard when I start planting. Any tips would be greatly appreciated!
1 Answer
First off, are you sure the goat manure is fully composted? Depending on where you live, that can affect how quickly it breaks down. If the manure is composted enough, you can just move the mulch aside and cut the cardboard where you're planning to plant your seeds or seedlings. In my experience, I used cardboard over grass to block weeds, and it took about a year to break down completely, but I live in a colder climate. If the manure isn't fully composted, don’t plant directly in it this year as it might harm your plants.