Weeds weeds everywhere!

With all the rains we've had, the weeds at the garden have grown through the mulch we initially laid down. Needless to say, they began to overrun the entrance. I learned a weeding trick from some fellow gardeners and put it to the test yesterday with the help of some volunteers.

First you water the weeds - Yes this seems counter intuitive, but trust me.

With the weeds damp, lay 8-10 layers of newspaper or pieces of cardboard (remember to remove the tape) over them. You can cut down the bigger weeds, but anything lower than 12" can just be pressed down. Place some mulch over the top to weigh it down. (We got this mulch free from Larry Rich of the Long Beach Sustainability Office)

After you have all the area with weeds covered, completely cover the newspaper with mulch. The newspaper will prevent the weeds from growing further, and will last for several months. The newspaper and the weeds will eventually decompose and become part of the mulch layer.




There you have it! A simple, easy, and organic way of weeding.

Thanks to Kim and Michael Stephens, fellow neighbor Glenna, and my wife for knocking this out!