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by Lydia Holley December 27, 2021
If you are like most Americans, you have an abundance of plain brown cardboard boxes at this time of year. How can you get rid of them? Actually, there are several options.
You can recycle them at any recycling center that takes cardboard. Cardboard is one of the easiest products to be recycled. It is re-pulped and shaped back into thinner-weight boxes or other paper products. You can also tear the cardboard boxes into strips or small pieces and throw them in your compost piles. Be sure to keep the correct ratio of greens to browns so your compost piles will break down quickly.
Many gardeners use cardboard placed directly on the soil under mulch as a weed suppressant. There are a few tricks to doing this. First, make certain your cardboard is wet. Dry cardboard will keep rain or water from reaching the soil. Because of this, adequate irrigation is needed where you apply cardboard in case of dry conditions. You will also want to cover the cardboard completely with about three inches of mulch. None of the cardboard should be sticking out along the edges and the mulch should be laid thickly enough that it does not blow away. A layer of mulch on top will also help the cardboard retain moisture. The combination of water and heat will help break the cardboard down, composting it directly into the soil. I have done this myself and been very happy with the results.
Sheet mulching or lasagna gardening takes this one step further. It uses moistened cardboard on the bottom with about two inches of alternating layers of composting materials, using browns such as leaves or straw, and greens such as grass clippings or manures. Depending upon how much material you have, the layers can be piled up to three feet high. Cover with mulch and let it break down, which may take several months. Cornell University, Oregon State University, University of California, Pennsylvania State University, Clemson University, and the University of Michigan have all published articles or facts sheets stating how to utilize this technique. Even Henderson County Master Gardeners put cardboard in the bottom of their raised vegetable beds at the Harvest Garden.
However, like everything else these days, gardening can be controversial. Dr. Linda Chalker-Scott of Washington State University does not like cardboard used in a landscape. She states, “cardboard is made to reduce both moisture and gas exchange, and that earthworms (as well as other soil organisms) need oxygen in the root zone.” She reminds gardeners that success stories using cardboard are “only anecdotal” evidence.
The problem is that there are not a lot of true scientific studies or research grants related to studying the results of placing cardboard in a garden. So, why not take your cardboard boxes and experiment on your own? You just might decide putting cardboard in your garden is a tradition you will want to continue from year to year. It is like getting a second gift after the present is removed.
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