Cardboard as weed suppressant over winter?

[plotman]

As for various schools of thought over digging or not digging? I dont buy into that. Digging allows you to open the soil allowing nature to break down the soil. It adds air into the soil essential for good plant life. Aids good draining keeping the soil light and fresh. It enables you to inspect the soil for weed removal, including root, Identify soil born pests early and keeps you fit ). In my opinion the argument for nature not requiring the soil to be dug is ridiculous. Nature as beautiful as it is rarely produces the size or quality of crops that cultivated gardens will.

[Martin H]

Mine is the lazy school of thought: if the soil is already open and not compacted I'm going to trust the worms to keep it that way. If I feed the worms with mulches they will pull it into their tunnels, improve fertility and let air in.

If the ground is compacted it will take the worms a long time to open it up on their own as well as an awful lot of mulch, so I'm happy to kick things off with some deep digging.

[Two_Sheds]

Because of the mild winter, we've got loads of weeds in flower & going to seed, so I've put down more newspapers to cover them. It's quicker & easier than pulling the weeds out.

[marchogaeth]

Because of the mild winter, we've got loads of weeds in flower & going to seed, so I've put down more newspapers to cover them. It's quicker & easier than pulling the weeds out.

It is amazing how stuck newspaper and cardboard become once wet. (Sympathies on the brassica cage.)

I do use old milk bottles, Morrisons buckets full of water as weights as I find, possibly due to being on a slope that follows the usual wind, that if the card dries out in better weather, it can lift and then tumbles down the hill.

[Bill HH]

Thats fighting talk to the majority here Plotman, the idea of no digging appeals to me because I have angina, but I can't help feeling that digging in loads of farmyard manure as i used to is the proper way to do it.

[marchogaeth]

Thats fighting talk to the majority here Plotman, the idea of no digging appeals to me because I have angina, but I can't help feeling that digging in loads of farmyard manure as i used to is the proper way to do it.

Quell (or keep quelling) the inner farmer Bill! I was a digger and mucker and it was often soul destroying because I was always short of time or trying to work round our awful weather. Hence my gardening efforts were really limited.

With no dig, you can still add loads of manure just do it under the board or in a lasagne bed. You can do this whatever the weather if you are tough enough. You can use the time saved to do all sorts of other amazing stuff in and around your garden or if you want to exercise you can do something aerobic designed to help your health.

[Bill HH]

Quell (or keep quelling) the inner farmer Bill! I was a digger and mucker and it was often soul destroying because I was always short of time or trying to work round our awful weather. Hence my gardening efforts were really limited.

With no dig, you can still add loads of manure just do it under the board or in a lasagne bed. You can do this whatever the weather if you are tough enough. You can use the time saved to do all sorts of other amazing stuff in and around your garden or if you want to exercise you can do something aerobic designed to help your health.

i know, I am pretty much sold on no dig, I can if i want dig my raised beds with my bare hands they are so light and open. Plus manure used to be something we had far too much of but in Torquay its rather rare. The farmer in me is quelled.

[plotman]

I would put the cardboard down now. It will help protect your soil from the weather as well as stop weeds

Protect your soil from the weather??

[plotman]

Thats fighting talk to the majority here Plotman, the idea of no digging appeals to me because I have angina, but I can't help feeling that digging in loads of farmyard manure as i used to is the proper way to do it.

I know it is mate, What a shame that gardening is being replaced with short cuts. what ever happened to the community spirit where those not so able get a help digging from there nieghbours. Sad that proper methods are replaced with shabby looking shortcuts

[alldigging]

Protect your soil from the weather??

Yes.
Wind and rain erosion aren't good for soil.
Keeping the worms warm means they'll do more work too. Worms are good!

[Two_Sheds]

proper methods are replaced with shabby looking shortcuts

you looking for a fight ?

You'll find that 'alternative' methods are every bit as good (if not better, for wildlife, the soil & your back) as the old ways.
I grow £500+ of veggies every year without digging & without horsemuck

[Bigmallly]

Tell you what PM, take my back digging for an 'our then tell me that cardbard isn't the way to go......


........................

[Martin H]

[plotman]

you looking for a fight ?

You'll find that 'alternative' methods are every bit as good (if not better, for wildlife, the soil & your back) as the old ways.
I grow £500+ of veggies every year without digging & without horsemuck

Thats an opt out excuse i hear often lol. Alternative methods as in skimping ). £500-00 of veg a year. Only equates to £1-50 a day lol

[plotman]

Yes.
Wind and rain erosion aren't good for soil.
Keeping the worms warm means they'll do more work too. Worms are good!

Ha ha, Rain isnt good for the garden, Dohhhhhhh / lol