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bare soil
jessgardener
Posts: 8
in Talkback
Help! I have finally cleared my house site for landscaping but it will be a slow process; any ideas to keep the lovely topsoil (about a third of an acre) from turning into a jungle? I thought about covering it with old carpets (possibly very ugly...) or a carpet of green manure plants that will keep down weeds and also add to the soil, rather than deplete it. All ideas gratefully accepted!
Thanks, Jess
0
Posts
Sheets of cardboard will block the light and prevent weed seed germination whilst also allowing rain to permeate and they will break down to add to the soil over time. You can hold them in place with metal pegs or just stones.
On the other hand, it may be advisable to let weed seeds germinate and just hoe them regularly to kill them. If you do it when they're still small they can be left in place to break down and add to the soil structure and nutrients. A cheaper and easier option than a green manure which needs to be dug in once done.
Black plastic silage sheet is another cheep alternative for keeping an area weed free. I've used a mixture of that and old tarpaulin very successfully.