Sheet mulching

Sheet mulching is a gardening and landscaping method that allows planting into or on top of the ground and is a form of no-dig gardening: the process of covering any base or unwanted plant material including weeds, old lawn or open ground with a layers of materials known as the barrier, compost and mulch.

Benefits

The effect reduces maintenance costs, increases water storage, prevents erosion and improves soil. It also makes it possible to create garden areas without hard digging first where environmental or physical restrictions apply.

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There [are] no hard and fast rules about what to use for your layers, just so long as it's organic and doesn't contain any protein (fat, meat, or bone).

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The basics

• "Don't remove the sod or do any extra work, like removing weeds or rocks.
• Mark the area for your garden using a water hose or a long rope to select the desired shape.
• Cover the marked area with wet newspapers, cardboard or other paper-based product, overlapping the edges using at least five sheets.
• Cover the paper with one to two inches (2.5 to 5 cm) of peat moss, peat moss substitute or other moisture holding organic material.
• Layer several inches of organic material such as straw, leaves, grass clippings, or garden waste on top of the peat moss.
• Continue to alternate layers of peat moss and organic material, until desired depth is reached.
• Water until the garden is the consistency of a damp sponge.
• regularly increase soil level by introducing large amounts of mulch and compost to your garden and sheet mulched area.

Sources

• Bay Friendly Landscape Guidelines published by Stopwaste.org - 777 Davis Street San Leandro CA 94577

Links

• Stopwaste.org