Weeds can be an absolute nightmare to deal with, as they can quickly take over a driveway or flowerbed and make your home look incredibly unkept to any passersby.
It is not recommended to use chemical removers on weeds in the middle of winter as it can greatly harm wildlife like robins and other local birds at who come into gardens to try and find food. You should also avoid natural solutions like salt or vinegar, as they can greatly harm plants, and while boiling water is effective, it can harden into ice at this time of year which will make the ground slippery.
However, Joe Foster, a gardener and founder of Grow It Build It, has shared there is a much easier way to get rid of weeds, as just need to smoother them with cardboard or newspaper. Joe said: “Using cardboard and newspaper to smother grass to make a flower bed is easy and effective. It isn’t too complicated, but you just need to make sure you use enough newspaper or the right kind of cardboard.”
Not many people realise that now in January is the perfect time to stop weeds as they to germinate once it begins to get lighter outside.
Weeds need sunlight in order to grow, and using cardboard or newspaper at the right time will cause them to die and prevent them from being able to spread.
It simply works as a physical barrier to stop weeds growing and suppresses the seedlings even if they are beginning to emerge from the ground.
What is fantastic about this method is that it will not harm your lawns or beloved plants and the paper is biodegradable so will break down into organic material that will feed the soil.
How to block weeds before they have a chance to spread
Make sure to only use thick brown cardboard and try to avoid any material that has plastic, paint, or colourful prints that usually come with toys or nappies.
If using newspaper, any old issues will do, but you should layer at least 10 sheets to make a thick enough barrier so weeds do not poke through.
To begin, identity the weed-infested area in your garden and start placing down the cardboard or newspaper.
You will also need an heavy object to weigh down the paper material, otherwise it might blow away on a windy day. It is best to use rocks and bricks but you could also use mulch if you are removing weeds from a flowerbed.
That is all you need to do. Keep an eye on the area and once spring arrives in the next few months your garden or patio will look a lot tidier without any weeds popping out the ground.
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