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nafex - Re: [NAFEX] Weed preventative idea

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  • From: Matt Demmon <mdemmon@gmail.com>
  • To: North American Fruit Explorers <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Weed preventative idea
  • Date: Tue, 17 Feb 2009 16:07:54 -0500

This is a very good idea, but I think it it by no means new. Around
here, it's called sheet mulching, and it's most often done with
newspapers, on lawn grass, to create new beds. a section of news
paper, overlapped by a few inches, and 2-3 inches of woodchips is
enough to smother pretty much everything in the lawn in 6 weeks.
Plantains and Dandelions can pop through. The heavier the
paper/cardboard, the less perennial weeds get through. Nasty weeds
like quack grass, smooth brome, canada thistle generally are able to
grow through the cracks. I usually get cardboard from businesses on
their recycling days when the put it out by the curb. I've also seen
recently a new product in some gardening catalogs, black paper rolls.

On Tue, Feb 17, 2009 at 10:50 AM, Jim Fruth <jfruth@tds.net> wrote:
> I sometimes wish NAFEX had a light-bulb symbol for bright, new ideas. I
> think Diane Porter just gave us one. She mentioned putting cardboard atop
> the soil, under the mulch. A 6" layer of mulch will prevent annual weeds
> from growing but will do nothing to prevent perennial weeds from coming up;
> her cardboard should accomplish that task. Is it possible that the
> perennial weeds come up, can't penetrate the cardboard and eventually
> (within a season?) die and rot?
> I have always fallowed my soil for a season, spraying with Round Up, let
> it grow, till, spray again, repeat, etc. Next time I need to open new
> ground, I'll use Diane's method..................now where can I get enough
> cardboard?
>
> Diane said, "We thought we'd get a truckload of composted cow manure to
> spread thickly on the ground, then cover with cardboard, mulch heavily with
> straw, and plant the raspberries in holes cut though the cardboard."
>
>
> Jim Fruth
> Brambleberry Farm
> Pequot Lakes, MN 56472
> For jams, jellies, syrups and more:
> www.jellygal.com
> 1-877-265-6856 (Toll Free)
> 1-218-831-7018 (My Cell)
>
>
>
>
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--
-matt demmon
photos: www.flickr.com/photos/farmerdemmon




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