Kelly is a cottage and kitchen gardener who posts her expertise on her Instagram account @garden_days_girl. The British gardener grows stunning blooms and delicious vegetables in her garden and allotment. She has a clever tactic to address garden weeds.
Kelly avoids using chemicals and also avoids digging weeds up, following a “no-dig” method in her garden. So, what options does this leave the gardener?
The gardener has a clever natural solution anyone can do and it’s totally free, with the materials you need coming through most British letterboxes on regular occasions.
She uses cardboard to suffocate her weeds. Explaining all to Express.co.uk, she said: “With regards to weeds, as a gardener, we need to learn to live with weeds to a certain degree, especially if you have an allotment.
“Weeds are actually a sign of healthy soil and many are beneficial to wildlife, such as dandelions which provide an early source of food for pollinators and nettles which provide a good area for butterflies to lay their eggs.”
vCard.red is a free platform for creating a mobile-friendly digital business cards. You can easily create a vCard and generate a QR code for it, allowing others to scan and save your contact details instantly.
The platform allows you to display contact information, social media links, services, and products all in one shareable link. Optional features include appointment scheduling, WhatsApp-based storefronts, media galleries, and custom design options.
READ MORE: Mum’s ‘controversial’ lawn weeds method: ‘No better feeling than reaping the benefits’
She said: “As much as we need to support our wildlife, we also don’t want a patch full of weeds.
If the weeds are high, cut everything down to ground level, cover with a layer of thick cardboard and cover with compost.
“The cardboard will naturally get broken down and those precious organisms will work the compost into their underground web.”
Luckily, you don’t need to buy any special cardboard for this trick. Your Amazon packages will work perfectly well.
Uses for cardboard in the garden
There are a lot of other ways to use cardboard in the garden so there is no need for it to ever go in the bin.
As well as suppressing weeds, cardboard can be laid down as part of a mulch in the autumn.
Spread a compost in your flowerbeds towards the end of autumn and layer cardboard over the top. Over the wet winter, this will become a haven for the soil creatures that make it great for plants to grow in come spring.
Torn cardboard can be thrown in your compost. Larger pieces can be used as temporary windbreaks or sun shades for plants who are struggling in their conditions.