Mulching With Cardboard Just Got Easier

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Photo by Fotolia/leungchopan
Large cardboard boxes from refrigerators and large appliances are easier to break apart and apply as mulch than smaller boxes are.

Mulching with cardboard and newspaper is a classic method for suppressing weeds and grass. However, I found out the hard way that finding and breaking down dozens of cardboard boxes is tedious. Plus, weeds and grass grew between my cardboard sheets by mid-June.

One day I lucked out and scored two big appliance boxes — one from a hot-water heater and one from a refrigerator — and both were thicker than the smaller boxes I had previously used. The boxes didn’t allow any light to penetrate, and it took much less time to lay them out. Often, stores have to break down their own cardboard and some even pay for its removal, so this could be a win-win for both parties!

Belea Keeney
Apex, North Carolina

  • Published on May 9, 2014
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