What is sheet mulching

Should I be worried? Will grass grow on top of compost which is on top of cardboard? The Million Gardens Movement doesn't just help you grow a garden, we're also bringing gardens to kids across the country — and you can help. Learn more at milliongardensmovement. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and are used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies.

By Brian Barth on May 10, Brian Barth. Why would you want to do all that the hard way? But sheet mulching does even more than that. Sign up for your Modern Farmer Weekly Newsletter. Notify of. Most Voted Newest Oldest. Inline Feedbacks. Lindsey Spivey. Abu Salim. Bonnie Harrison. Patricia Mandwll. Joyce evans. Eunice Malott. Mary Henrickson. View Replies 1. Load More Comments. Make sure to have a inch overlap where sheets meet so buried weeds can't find a route to the surface.

If you have already planted crops, or have other pre-existing plants, don't mulch over them. Cut holes in the cardboard to make some breathing space for each plant or leave some room around each plant when laying newspaper.

Now you can add your weed-free organic materials. I like to keep it simple, and just add a nice layer of compost.

You can also do some sheet composting here, alternating layers of nitrogen-rich materials like fresh grass clippings with carbonaceous materials like weed-free straw. Now you add your final top mulch layer, at least 3in thick. Water the whole bed thoroughly once again. Your sheet mulch bed is complete. You can plant right into your bed if you like. To plant tubers or potted plants, just pull back the top layers until you get to the weed barrier.

Cut an X in the cardboard or newspaper. If you are transplanting a large plant, peel back the corners of the X. Throw a double handful of compost in the planting hole and then put in the plant. Pull the layers and top mulch back around the plant, water well, and you're all set. Planting seeds is easy too.

Just pull back the top mulch to the compost layer and plant your seeds. You may want to cut through the weed barrier below first, depending on weed pressure below the barrier. If you are planting seeds, be sure to water regularly, as compost on top of cardboard can dry out quickly.

This is an extract from Eric Toensmeier's Perennial Vegetables. Eric transformed his rocky, desolate tenth of an acre into a modern-day Garden of Eden with this and other permaculture methods, all shown in the book. For even more about the stunning transformation from bare ground to lush garden, Toensmeier's memoir Paradise Lot: Two Plant Geeks, One-Tenth of an Acre, and the Making of an Edible Garden Oasis in the City tells the whole story of how he not only made a little patch of earth a little greener, he found love, too.

Review of Paradise Lot. The many benefits of hugelkultur. General principles described also apply to a This publication provides an overview of soil testing and general guidelines for interpreting soil test results for nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur, potassium, calcium, magnesium, boron, zinc, copper, manganese, iron, molybdenum, chloride, Dan M. This publication provides step-by-step methods for successful worm composting at home. It includes a concise explanation of specific worm physiology, kinds of bins to use and how to set them up, what to feed the worms, how to Coffee grounds are a great addition to the garden and compost pile.

Help to recycle this great organic resource and reduce the amount of organics going to the landfill! Will the plants grow well? I will be using fertilizers for the plants with NPK as per the recommended usage in the pack. We have experts in family and health, community development, food and agriculture, coastal issues, forestry, programs for young people, and gardening. There are several advantages to sheet composting: It is an easy and uncomplicated method of composting.

It can be done a little at a time as materials become available. It can be done on a large or small scale. It can be used to improve soil or add to existing beds and borders. It is an easy way to expand a garden with a minimum amount of equipment, material, and time.

Begin by mowing or scalping grass or other vegetation down to the lowest possible level, at the length and width you would like the finished bed to become. Three feet wide is a good width, as this allows you to reach the center of the bed from either side. You could also work directly in a constructed raised bed. Remove any pernicious or persistent weeds such as blackberry, bindweed, morning glory or quackgrass.

Sheet composting may not smother these weeds. Cover the ground with 4 to 6 overlapping layers of newspaper or cardboard. This carbon material smothers the grass and weeds underneath by preventing light from allowing photosynthesis of the plants. Wet the newspaper or cardboard thoroughly and cover with a 1-inch layer of a nitrogen source such as manure. Top the nitrogen with 1 inch of leaves, straw, bark or other carbon material. Add a 1-inch layer of nitrogen: kitchen scraps, green produce scraps, manure or fresh green weeds minus the seed heads , or a combination.

Cover with another layer of carbon material — straw, shredded paper, leaves, etc. Continue to add alternating layers of carbon and nitrogen until reaching the final height 18 inches to 3 feet. Continue to add alternating layers of carbon and nitrogen, as materials become available. As the material decomposes, more layers may be added always ending with a carbon layer. The height of a bed may vary, depending on the amount of material and when the bed will be planted.

Generally speaking, the greater the volume of material the longer decomposition will take. The final layer may be covered with overlapping burlap coffee sacks to keep the materials neat and in place. The burlap will gradually decompose over time but may be removed when planting the bed. Waiting is the hard part Sheet composting is a slow process. Previously titled Sheet Mulch — Lasagna Composting.