Don't weed -- Sheetmulch!

If you're serious about wanting no weeds, and you hate weeding like I do, sheet mulching is the technique to use. This technique will build soil fertility over time. It can be used in planting beds, especially with perennial plants. Sheet mulching is an excellent way to keep pathways or bed edges clear of weeds.

The key to sheetmulching is to place a barrier between the weeds and the mulch. There are commercial weed barriers you can buy--they look like black cloth. But they are a waste of money--in a few month's time, the weeds will come through anyway. Instead, get some cardboard boxes, or use a thick layer (quarter inch) of newspaper. The benefits of using these materials is they are relatively durable, and free. Of course, they do break down over time. But when they do break down, in six months to a year, they decompose the way other compost ingredients would, as if you had spread a very thin layer of compost on your soil. Then, in six months when the weeds do grow back (as a few stubborn ones will), they'll be easier to spot, and much easier to pull.

Here's a city tree in front of my house that I sheetmulched. The little square of soil it was planted in was covered in weeds. I covered them with cardboard and 3 - 5 inches of mulch. After it sat like this for a week, and had rained, I planted right into it, poking some holes through the mulch and cardboard, and inserting these irises that had been growing in the backyard.

Steps in sheetmulching:

1) If the weeds are very tall, cut them to 6 inches, or at least flatten them
2) Spread a thin layer of compost (Optional step)
3) Cover the area with cardboard or thick newspaper, overlapping the edges
4) Cover the cardboard with some kind of mulch. Wood chips works well for paths, or perennial beds.

Here is a before and after of an ambitious sheetmulching project. This yard remained weed free for 6 months, and the weeds were much smaller and easier to pull as they grew back.