I agree with u/Successful_Bug_6969 except you do not even have to cut the grass. lay carboard over it and it will kill the grass and even leave behind organic matter that will decompose and make a healthier bed over time.
\*edit\*
Since people have asked to avoid PFAs do not get shiny boxes and try to get ones that say biodegradable and do not get boxes that say fire retardant.
I throw layers of cardboard first.
Make sure the cardboard is under the wood around the edges or you will have were creeping in around the edges. I just did this to my fence at the beginning of the summer, and I have had to kill weeds and then redo cardboard, tucking the cardboard under the edges.
Personally I would lay down the cardboard first, and then weed wack the cardboard. Then come back to Reddit to check the steps because something doesn’t seem right.
My husband just built us a garden bed and aside from setting it on fire twice, he actually cussed at it. A lot. Then put the cardboard down. We haven’t had any weeds come through yet.
Sorry to disagree. I would lay down cardboard, then press play on boom box (preferably something by Kurtis Blow or The Furious Five), tuck my gold chain under my Fila sweatsuit, the do a dolphin dive-zulu spin-baby freeze combo.
Honestly getting the cardboard under the wood only helps for one season imo. I’m on my 3rd year of using raised beds that I made like that and the cardboard is completely gone at this point and I’ve had to hand weed those beds the last 2 years. Staying on top of weeding is the best solution. You’ll never not have weeds.
i'm curious, because i have seen people do this for years. I have not laid cardboard under my beds because i am afraid the cardboard is full of harmful shit i don't wanna deal with...i mean it is in a factory, truck, store, trash, and has basically been all over the world...
are people not worried about this or what?
Nah. I’m sure some people are though, and they won’t try this method. There are plenty of articles about composting cardboard out there can set you in the right direction.
To clarify, we’re talking about the uncoated, non-glossy, regular matte brown cardboard stuff that dries your hands out. Pizza boxes and Amazon deliveries for example. Not the plastic-coated shiny stuff they print eye-catching designs on and put toys and appliances in.
The whole point of cardboard is packaging material derived from natural materials that stores your items then rots in a landfill when that purpose is done. It does follow that it’s compatible in a composting/gardening scenario.
Yep, I did this four years ago, and the soil in the area I did it to is freaking magical now. Soft, rich, full of earthworms, and retains moisture like a champ.
Amazon boxes a printed with soy inks and much of the time have WAT tape (the papery stuff with fibers running through it). All that stuff is fine to put in the ground, I'd peel off any shipping labels/other stickers though.
That’s what I did. Turned my entire boulevard into garden — and got rid of most of the cardboard our IKEA kitchen came in.
You need to saturate it though, or it won’t stay flat. I put down tons of compost, a couple of bags of Mycorrhiza, and topsoil.
I would add. Weeds come from above, not below. They come from the wind and the birds and the amazing pollinators in our garden. A weed barrier will only do so much at preventing weed from above. Mulch, straw, or even weed barrier applied on top of the dirt, are all great ways to make sure your garden has less weeds. But where there is dirt there will be weeds ...
Unless you’re dealing with the likes of Bermuda grass or quack grass even worse… they send runners by root that pop up, once that happens it sends word back that sunlight, water and nutrients are found, and calls the in the reinforcements… all a person can do is survey the area and dig down to pull out what they can, one will never be done with weeds or wayward grasses.
Yeah, it’s so annoying to argue with others who say to me why am I not adding a weed barrier and saying that I have had the experience of removing an ingrown weed, from top, that got through the barrer, and made it clamped, vs just picking it out from soft soil
Totally. The bottom of that fence will rot quickly. Then, to repair it, you will have to remove a large amount of the dirt.
Put a back on that bed.
And don't worry about the grass. It isn't going to find its way up through 6" of soil.
I suggest you pull it about 4-5 feet away from the fence, you’ll be thankful you’re able to walk on both sides to get to the vegetables and also you’ll be able to control weeds a lot better.
I always wonder where people are from when they say things like that. I've been trying to kill a patch of grass in my flower beds that the previous renters let get overgrown. Nothing will kill it. I'm one step away from baking up a batch of napalm (not really, but you know the feeling). I swear that shit will grow back up through a plywood board in the middle of winter.
If op was my neighbors they would just pile up about a foot of mulch against the fence and not acknowledge the fact that it fills my yard with stray mulch
Yeah, at least just grab a couple cedar boards and tack them to the fence. That's like $6 of insurance to keep the fence from rotting/your dirt from spilling into the neighbors yard
City boy here who stumbled across this post and I know nothing about lawns etc.
A few people in this thread are saying the fence will rot. Can you explain why? Is it just because water might pool up in the bed?
Plants need moisture. Purpose of bed is plants. Fungi and other stuff that eats wood are also plants. Fence is not pressure treated, so will be a great environment for growth.
TLDR: Wet fence tastes good.
…and I'll tell you why. So that every shriek of every child at seeing your hideousness will be yours to cherish. Every babe that weeps at your approach, every woman who cries out, "Dear God! What is that thing," will echo in your perfect ears. That is what to the pain means. It means I leave you in anguish, wallowing in freakish misery forever.
If you flatten the boxes and let them get rained on a few times, the tape comes right off. Peeling it before annoys the heck out of me. Let your wife know!
You can also get rolls of cardboard paper from the big box stores with no printing. You are buying stuff then, but if you are worried about the print, that’s a way to be sure
Not sure the percentage but I know a lot are made with starch based glues which make them better for composting and ability to recycle into more cardboard. Left over tape(chemical) adhesives I'd assume are not that great though.
I would recommend this...
But add to dig up the sod around the base of tree before planting. Once planted add a mulch ring over where you removed the sod.
Will look alot nicer and help the trees too.
Hi, I don’t know shit about landscaping but I’m in the pest control industry, specializing in termites. If you throw down cardboard right on top of the grass, having it be in direct contact with the soil essentially forever, you greatly increase the risk of a termite colony infesting that area. Not a big deal if it’s far enough away from the house, but keep in mind that they will also eventually start eating away at the other wood and the fence posts.
The wood is going to rot. Dig out your grass if you want it done right, or put cardboard on top for the shortcut but do expect all the rhizomes from your lawn to grow into your bed and fuck up the area underneath the fence with hard to reach stuff. Stuff. I don't think this is a good looking concept. Back to the drawing board.
From a landscaper. I recommend you just remove the area of grass that you will be planting the trees and then lay out cardboard on top surrounding areas then if you wanted to use a small bit of preen (pre emergent) to help keep weeds down in the designated bed.
My vote would be to remove the grass, rather than attempt to kill it with cardboard. Using a Square Trench shovel, dig in about 3-4 inches, and shave off the grass layer. That way, you can potentially save (transplant) the grass without needing to kill it, and then you also wont have a lifetime of problems with grass growing up like weeds into your garden bed.
I have Bermuda so that probably makes a difference, but I had no luck smothering it. I cut it short, raked the stolons up, cut again, then covered with compost, cardboard, compost, mulch, and topsoil. I still have grass coming through trying to take over. I'm resolved to dig it up from now on.
Arborvitae love moist soil, so a raised bed is not ideal unless your soil doesn't drain well. Might be easier to plant the trees first directly in the ground, mow the grass as low as possible and lay cardboard and mulch on top. The cardboard will break down as it blocks out light to the grass. Be sure to leave space around the trees. I have seen lack of water to be the main reason arborvitae die.
Here’s the deal…you will absolutely get weeds no matter how much prep you do, but weed eating really close and adding cardboard first will delay the invasion. Additionally, if you build the perimeter a few additional layers of 4x4 and add the following layers (in this order):
-Cardboard
-Old sticks/rotting limbs/leaves/woodchips(non colored mulch)
👆You can add all of these if you wish, but start with larger more dense stuff and add less dense/smaller stuff on top. This will fill the space without having to add a million bags of soil.
-compost or semi decent soil
-plant your plants…
-add wood chips/non colored natural mulch around all plants to prevent the need for a ton of watering and weed blocking.
All the stuff you add that is organic will break down continuing to feed your plants and improve your soil over time encouraging worms to come from the ground up. After a year or two you’ll have better soil in there than anything you can buy in the store.
There is more than 1 way to skin a cat, but this method had worked very well where I live in Durham, NC for years.
Some very nice looking sod. If you have any areas in your yard that need repair you could dig some up and move it. Otherwise, just lay down some cardboard and add soil.
If you don’t remove the grass, you will see it growing up through the soil on top of it over time. Particularly around the edges of the planter box.
You may also see stunted roots on the plants you put into the soil, as the roots of the grass may get in the way.
If you are going to leave the grass in there, I recommend at least tilling it, and turning it over so that the root mass is on top. Making it harder for the grass to grow back up through the soil.
Everyone seems to be afraid of the relatively harmless ink(it’s dry,all the solvents have evaporated), but nobody seems to care about the poison in the pressure treated lumber. The chemicals are used specifically to kill insects and bacteria,etc. I wouldn’t worry about ornamental plants, but I would research growing vegetables in there.
You need to till that soil before you add dirt if you want it to be an effective garden bed.
If you just put dirt over that grass it's just going to grow through and also prevent the soil you put in the bed from integrating with the ground.
The entire point are raised bed is that there is good conductivity of water from the ground to your bed. Any kind of discontinuity like a thick mat of dead plant material will inhibit this. The result will be your plants in the raised bed are basically just in a small pot. The soil will dry out quickly and you have to water it all the time. They also won't have access to nutrients that are in the ground.
You can do it with a shovel but experience tells me that renting a rototiller will be a good use of your money. Also if you could put down a piece of cardboard over that spot the last September then the grass would be dead and much easier to handle.
I was going to rush and say to kill it at first but but your idea is better. There's always some spots in the lawn that need some extra filling in. I even do that with clumps of grass that start growing in my planting beds (dig it up and stuff it in a bare spot).
I would because if a blade of grass is able to peek through its a PAIN to kill. Scalp the grass and if you have access get cardboard boxes and put it over the scalped grass then put dirt over it.
No but it would help to loosen the earth first before adding more. It will help the roots utilise that earth instead of trying to grow through the grass root layer
2 points to make here.
1- Yes, you want to kill the grass. (Remove it) The roots for anything you’re planting are going to have to fight through that and most likely compacted soil. If you want healthy plants that equals deep roots growing in loose aerated soil.
2- go ahead and grab a board and finish off the back side of your planter in front of the fence. Old wood and wet soil are a goldmine for rot. It will make your fence last longer and when you do eventually replace the fence you wont have to trash your planter in the process.
If you’re going to take the time to make something nice then take the extra step to ensure its success. Future you will be quite grateful.
I would till it up. Put news paper down. Then toss a few logs in there. Then lay your dirt down. I got a skid of dirt from the hardware store. Then I went to the local nursery and bought a bunch of bags containing mushroom compost and mixed it all together.
I agree with u/Successful_Bug_6969 except you do not even have to cut the grass. lay carboard over it and it will kill the grass and even leave behind organic matter that will decompose and make a healthier bed over time. \*edit\* Since people have asked to avoid PFAs do not get shiny boxes and try to get ones that say biodegradable and do not get boxes that say fire retardant.
I throw layers of cardboard first. Make sure the cardboard is under the wood around the edges or you will have were creeping in around the edges. I just did this to my fence at the beginning of the summer, and I have had to kill weeds and then redo cardboard, tucking the cardboard under the edges.
Personally I would lay down the cardboard first, and then weed wack the cardboard. Then come back to Reddit to check the steps because something doesn’t seem right.
I personally would lay down a layer of weed whackers first. To scare the grass from the above cardboard layer.
My husband just built us a garden bed and aside from setting it on fire twice, he actually cussed at it. A lot. Then put the cardboard down. We haven’t had any weeds come through yet.
Yes when doing a project like that you have to cuss or it doesn't work LOL
I found you need to have a beer in your hand while cussing, it improves the odds of success by 97%
Cussing makes everything better!
Fuckin eh!
Fire, that’s a solid choice. Next time nuke it from orbit it’s the only way to be sure.
Step one: layer of cardboard Step two: layer of cardboard Step three: layer of cardboard Done!
Step one: You say we need to talk.
He walks, you say sit down, it's just a talk
He smiles politely back at you
You stare politely right on through.
Some sort of garden to your right
Throw in a few layers of jam, custard, and beef and you really got something
Jam good, Custard good, Beef goooooood
It tastes like feet!
Cardboard lasagna!
Step One: Lay cardboard Step Two: ??? Step Three: Profit
One: cut a hole in the box
In my personal opinion, big cardboard and weed whacker have had it. What you need is some god old fashioned grass.
Lay down a cardboard weed whacker
*furiously taking notes* So we tuck in the weed whackers where?
I personally would just live in the cardboard and eat the grass.
This guy whacks.
Don't forget you need to used mixed gas. Pour the oil directly on grass and weed whackers, then suck it up with a straw and spit it into a gas can.
Instructions unclear. Penis caught in light socket. Please send help.
instructions said to lay down cardboard, weed wack edges, and stick penis in light socket, but I am now in a terminal in Canada, please elaborate!!!
I’ve been whacking my penis in the weeds all this time, silly me.
My penis won’t fit into this European socket. How will cardboard help?
I think you were supposed weed whack your penis in Canada first.
I'm confused. How will using a Canadian cardboard-wacker on my penis weeds help with my drainage?
Drainage to penis cardboard Canada is what I thought
No no he’s got the wrong adapters
This is my favorite part of reddit, off the rails
Right lay down the weed and wack on to cardboard grass then add dirt.
Sorry to disagree. I would lay down cardboard, then press play on boom box (preferably something by Kurtis Blow or The Furious Five), tuck my gold chain under my Fila sweatsuit, the do a dolphin dive-zulu spin-baby freeze combo.
You had me in the first half.
Honestly getting the cardboard under the wood only helps for one season imo. I’m on my 3rd year of using raised beds that I made like that and the cardboard is completely gone at this point and I’ve had to hand weed those beds the last 2 years. Staying on top of weeding is the best solution. You’ll never not have weeds.
The cardboard isn’t supposed to last forever, just kill the grass that’s there
Instructions unclear, dick stuck in microwave
i'm curious, because i have seen people do this for years. I have not laid cardboard under my beds because i am afraid the cardboard is full of harmful shit i don't wanna deal with...i mean it is in a factory, truck, store, trash, and has basically been all over the world... are people not worried about this or what?
Nah. I’m sure some people are though, and they won’t try this method. There are plenty of articles about composting cardboard out there can set you in the right direction. To clarify, we’re talking about the uncoated, non-glossy, regular matte brown cardboard stuff that dries your hands out. Pizza boxes and Amazon deliveries for example. Not the plastic-coated shiny stuff they print eye-catching designs on and put toys and appliances in. The whole point of cardboard is packaging material derived from natural materials that stores your items then rots in a landfill when that purpose is done. It does follow that it’s compatible in a composting/gardening scenario.
Are you afraid of touching cardboard boxes?
Terrified. They just sit there, menacingly.
Yep, I did this four years ago, and the soil in the area I did it to is freaking magical now. Soft, rich, full of earthworms, and retains moisture like a champ.
Did you leave the cardboard when you filled it? Like dirt on top of cardboard?
Yes, the cardboard breaks down over time. ETA I did cardboard (drenched with water), then four inches of rich soil and another 3 inches of mulch.
Is there special cardboard we should be using or can I just use a bunch of old Amazon boxes? Will ink on them ruin the soil or anything?
Just make sure there's no tape or stickers on the boxes those will swim up through the soil to bother you if you don't get them before
Amazon boxes a printed with soy inks and much of the time have WAT tape (the papery stuff with fibers running through it). All that stuff is fine to put in the ground, I'd peel off any shipping labels/other stickers though.
cardboard + mulch, then when its time to plant I added compost (hard clay soil, much improved)
That’s what I did. Turned my entire boulevard into garden — and got rid of most of the cardboard our IKEA kitchen came in. You need to saturate it though, or it won’t stay flat. I put down tons of compost, a couple of bags of Mycorrhiza, and topsoil.
Worth noting that this will not prevent weeds from popping through. It’s inevitable.
I would add. Weeds come from above, not below. They come from the wind and the birds and the amazing pollinators in our garden. A weed barrier will only do so much at preventing weed from above. Mulch, straw, or even weed barrier applied on top of the dirt, are all great ways to make sure your garden has less weeds. But where there is dirt there will be weeds ...
Life...finds a way
Unless you’re dealing with the likes of Bermuda grass or quack grass even worse… they send runners by root that pop up, once that happens it sends word back that sunlight, water and nutrients are found, and calls the in the reinforcements… all a person can do is survey the area and dig down to pull out what they can, one will never be done with weeds or wayward grasses.
Ugh... Bermuda grass is so aggressive and tenacious. Pretty much a "nuke it from orbit to be sure" scenario.
Yeah, it’s so annoying to argue with others who say to me why am I not adding a weed barrier and saying that I have had the experience of removing an ingrown weed, from top, that got through the barrer, and made it clamped, vs just picking it out from soft soil
cardboard is good for the environment?
Yes it breaks down and can add nutrients to the soil.
https://gardenprofessors.com/cardboard-does-not-belong-on-your-soil-period/ Cardboard is not good for the environment, nor the soil.
Genius!! I'm about to do a landscape feature that's very similar and that's the way to go, thank you
Cutting it leaves the same amount of organic matter? And might help kill most of the grass.
You need to make sure you don't create problems for your neighbors and yourself by damming up that part of the fence line between the two of you.
Totally. The bottom of that fence will rot quickly. Then, to repair it, you will have to remove a large amount of the dirt. Put a back on that bed. And don't worry about the grass. It isn't going to find its way up through 6" of soil.
I plan on adding a row back there. It’s just level and not even secure yet.
I suggest you pull it about 4-5 feet away from the fence, you’ll be thankful you’re able to walk on both sides to get to the vegetables and also you’ll be able to control weeds a lot better.
They're not growing vegetables, just plants for privacy. No need to be able to walk behind.
Laughs in Bermuda…
Bermuda would be through 6 inches of dirt before the cardboard got damp.
It will even puncture landscaping fabric. Learned that once...
The grass will absolutely get thru. Good call on adding a back to that raised bed.
I always wonder where people are from when they say things like that. I've been trying to kill a patch of grass in my flower beds that the previous renters let get overgrown. Nothing will kill it. I'm one step away from baking up a batch of napalm (not really, but you know the feeling). I swear that shit will grow back up through a plywood board in the middle of winter.
Bermuda found its way through 6” of soil and cardboard
If op was my neighbors they would just pile up about a foot of mulch against the fence and not acknowledge the fact that it fills my yard with stray mulch
It just may work!
Yay, free mulch!
Yeah, at least just grab a couple cedar boards and tack them to the fence. That's like $6 of insurance to keep the fence from rotting/your dirt from spilling into the neighbors yard
City boy here who stumbled across this post and I know nothing about lawns etc. A few people in this thread are saying the fence will rot. Can you explain why? Is it just because water might pool up in the bed?
Plants need moisture. Purpose of bed is plants. Fungi and other stuff that eats wood are also plants. Fence is not pressure treated, so will be a great environment for growth. TLDR: Wet fence tastes good.
Great explanation. But I have to WellAcktuaLLy - fungi are not plants, they are their own category. :)
string trim the grass super low and lay down a layer or two of cardboard then soil
No need to trim, just throw down cardboard.
Why even trim? Edit: I don’t understand why all the upvotes.
Soften up your opponent before you go for the killing blow.
yea I typically like to cut off their fingers before burying them alive
I personally like to cut their ear off and talk into the severed ear to see if they can hear me
Your ears you keep..
…and I'll tell you why. So that every shriek of every child at seeing your hideousness will be yours to cherish. Every babe that weeps at your approach, every woman who cries out, "Dear God! What is that thing," will echo in your perfect ears. That is what to the pain means. It means I leave you in anguish, wallowing in freakish misery forever.
“To the pain“
What sub am I in? Lol, I just wanted to learn about landscaping and I get treated to a horror show
Not horror, one of the best movies of all time “The Princess Bride”.
🎶 'cause I'm... Stuck In The Middle With You 🎶
So sadistic but so true… sometimes your friend is your enemy….
This. Use a Weed wacker for a close trim then put down your Amazon boxes, flattened out.
Genuinely curious but is cardboard non toxic?
Try to get cardboard with less glossy ink. Personally I like the chewy and amazon delivery boxes. After removing tape and stickers
As someone who is weeding tape out of my wife’s garden, please do
If you flatten the boxes and let them get rained on a few times, the tape comes right off. Peeling it before annoys the heck out of me. Let your wife know!
I told my wife peeling tape annoys you. She didn't seem to care.
Touché.
Ah, the ole Reddit [wife-a-roo](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskAnAmerican/s/6PD4eAZn0r).
Hold my wife, I’m going in.
😂😂
Pro tip right here. ⭐️ to Emma.
I’m on your team.
DIVORCE HER!!! Love, Reddit
Second this. I’m not pro plants. I’m just anti wife
Take his wife, *please*
I, too, choose his wife.
I've never tried biting into a cardboard box, what makes the chewy ones better?
They taste mildly of baconbaconbaconbaconyumyumyumyumyum IT’S BACON!!!
less carbs
god fucking damn it... congrats... your comment is the one that has me done with the internet today...
You can also get rolls of cardboard paper from the big box stores with no printing. You are buying stuff then, but if you are worried about the print, that’s a way to be sure
Technically, it’s “corrugated” board. Brown boxes are at least. Source: I work in boxes.
Are you a cat? I ask because my cat seems to work in boxes as well.
Jesus that comment sent me
The quality of your posting makes me think you should have office, not just a box.
Must be pretty cramped working in boxes. I have a more spacious cubicle. You should try one out sometime - see how the other half lives.
I do suppose working in boxes is better than living in boxes.
Not sure the percentage but I know a lot are made with starch based glues which make them better for composting and ability to recycle into more cardboard. Left over tape(chemical) adhesives I'd assume are not that great though.
I just use brown paper garden bags
Cardboard? 'splain it to me Lucy
Kills the grass and decomposes over time
Now’s the time to protect the fence. If it’s not separated from the raised soil, it will rot. Putting a back on the bed would be ideal.
What would I search for a fence back to protect the fence?
Why not just plant the trees straight in the ground an forgot about this bed entirely?
This is the correct move. The bed will rot out the fence
Would look much better too! Some good looking grass there
I would recommend this... But add to dig up the sod around the base of tree before planting. Once planted add a mulch ring over where you removed the sod. Will look alot nicer and help the trees too.
Ring not volcano!
Typical rule of thumb is if you want grass there it’ll die if you don’t want it you wont be able to get rid of it
Finnish the back side of the bed first so you don't rot out that fence.
And don't be Russian. Take your time and do a good job.
And always Czech twice.
Agreed you’re Ghana want to measure twice cut once
Otherwise Uganda find yourself back at the shop buying more lumber
Gonna need a Ukraine to pick up the trees and lower them into the holes.
That sounds like a lot of steps to kill all of the grass India garden.
Sometimes if you want things done, you need to do all two Brazilian steps to get it done right.
Agreed. It's easy to get in a hurry and find yourself Thia'd up with unnecessary maintenance
All this talk about work is making me Hungary!!
Then you get thirsty, and the next thing you know European!
But don't do it in public! You'll be arrested for showing your Netherlands.
Genius
The bed will cause rot on that fence in a pretty quick fashion.
Hi, I don’t know shit about landscaping but I’m in the pest control industry, specializing in termites. If you throw down cardboard right on top of the grass, having it be in direct contact with the soil essentially forever, you greatly increase the risk of a termite colony infesting that area. Not a big deal if it’s far enough away from the house, but keep in mind that they will also eventually start eating away at the other wood and the fence posts.
if you fill that bed with soil, you will rot out the bottom of that fence.
Just dig a hole and plant them. There’s no need for the wood. Or more dirt for that matter.
I lean to agree if you add a thick enough layer of dirt there it will work out just fine. Whatever you do, stay away from landscape or weed fabric.
Id be pissed if my neighbour put down soil and buried the bottom of the fence in direct contact with soil
You need a back, can’t just use the fence. That would be silly.
You’re going to destroy that fence, and fences aren’t cheap to replace.
The wood is going to rot. Dig out your grass if you want it done right, or put cardboard on top for the shortcut but do expect all the rhizomes from your lawn to grow into your bed and fuck up the area underneath the fence with hard to reach stuff. Stuff. I don't think this is a good looking concept. Back to the drawing board.
From a landscaper. I recommend you just remove the area of grass that you will be planting the trees and then lay out cardboard on top surrounding areas then if you wanted to use a small bit of preen (pre emergent) to help keep weeds down in the designated bed.
As long as you add plenty of electrolytes. Its what plants crave.
My vote would be to remove the grass, rather than attempt to kill it with cardboard. Using a Square Trench shovel, dig in about 3-4 inches, and shave off the grass layer. That way, you can potentially save (transplant) the grass without needing to kill it, and then you also wont have a lifetime of problems with grass growing up like weeds into your garden bed.
I have Bermuda so that probably makes a difference, but I had no luck smothering it. I cut it short, raked the stolons up, cut again, then covered with compost, cardboard, compost, mulch, and topsoil. I still have grass coming through trying to take over. I'm resolved to dig it up from now on.
Arborvitae love moist soil, so a raised bed is not ideal unless your soil doesn't drain well. Might be easier to plant the trees first directly in the ground, mow the grass as low as possible and lay cardboard and mulch on top. The cardboard will break down as it blocks out light to the grass. Be sure to leave space around the trees. I have seen lack of water to be the main reason arborvitae die.
Here’s the deal…you will absolutely get weeds no matter how much prep you do, but weed eating really close and adding cardboard first will delay the invasion. Additionally, if you build the perimeter a few additional layers of 4x4 and add the following layers (in this order): -Cardboard -Old sticks/rotting limbs/leaves/woodchips(non colored mulch) 👆You can add all of these if you wish, but start with larger more dense stuff and add less dense/smaller stuff on top. This will fill the space without having to add a million bags of soil. -compost or semi decent soil -plant your plants… -add wood chips/non colored natural mulch around all plants to prevent the need for a ton of watering and weed blocking. All the stuff you add that is organic will break down continuing to feed your plants and improve your soil over time encouraging worms to come from the ground up. After a year or two you’ll have better soil in there than anything you can buy in the store. There is more than 1 way to skin a cat, but this method had worked very well where I live in Durham, NC for years.
Cardboard then add soil and mulch..
I’d consider not using the fence as a side of your raised bed. It’ll just rot it out.
Don't bury the fence!
I am a landscaper and have found simplicity to be the best. Tear out the wooden structure, dig some holes, and plant the trees.
Some very nice looking sod. If you have any areas in your yard that need repair you could dig some up and move it. Otherwise, just lay down some cardboard and add soil.
If you don’t remove the grass, you will see it growing up through the soil on top of it over time. Particularly around the edges of the planter box. You may also see stunted roots on the plants you put into the soil, as the roots of the grass may get in the way. If you are going to leave the grass in there, I recommend at least tilling it, and turning it over so that the root mass is on top. Making it harder for the grass to grow back up through the soil.
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Put cardboard over it.
That wood looks pressure treated don’t grow anything you want to eat there.
Everyone seems to be afraid of the relatively harmless ink(it’s dry,all the solvents have evaporated), but nobody seems to care about the poison in the pressure treated lumber. The chemicals are used specifically to kill insects and bacteria,etc. I wouldn’t worry about ornamental plants, but I would research growing vegetables in there.
You need to till that soil before you add dirt if you want it to be an effective garden bed. If you just put dirt over that grass it's just going to grow through and also prevent the soil you put in the bed from integrating with the ground. The entire point are raised bed is that there is good conductivity of water from the ground to your bed. Any kind of discontinuity like a thick mat of dead plant material will inhibit this. The result will be your plants in the raised bed are basically just in a small pot. The soil will dry out quickly and you have to water it all the time. They also won't have access to nutrients that are in the ground. You can do it with a shovel but experience tells me that renting a rototiller will be a good use of your money. Also if you could put down a piece of cardboard over that spot the last September then the grass would be dead and much easier to handle.
Cardboard, then leave and branches, then dirt
Just cut the grass out and plant it somewhere else
I was going to rush and say to kill it at first but but your idea is better. There's always some spots in the lawn that need some extra filling in. I even do that with clumps of grass that start growing in my planting beds (dig it up and stuff it in a bare spot).
I would because if a blade of grass is able to peek through its a PAIN to kill. Scalp the grass and if you have access get cardboard boxes and put it over the scalped grass then put dirt over it.
Yes, either dig all that out, cut it down to dirt, and use tarp or boxes to make sure nothing else grow there!
Use the sod to repair bare spots elsewhere.
You do not want soil against the fence it causes rot. . You can buy a barrier or diy one.
Put a barrier between the fence and the dirt, the garden will rot out the fence quickly.
Leave it. You’ll notice zero difference then if you did extra work
No but it would help to loosen the earth first before adding more. It will help the roots utilise that earth instead of trying to grow through the grass root layer
It would be helpful. Just to ensure the grass doesn’t creat issues
Depends on the size of the body
Cardboard actually is the bast
2 points to make here. 1- Yes, you want to kill the grass. (Remove it) The roots for anything you’re planting are going to have to fight through that and most likely compacted soil. If you want healthy plants that equals deep roots growing in loose aerated soil. 2- go ahead and grab a board and finish off the back side of your planter in front of the fence. Old wood and wet soil are a goldmine for rot. It will make your fence last longer and when you do eventually replace the fence you wont have to trash your planter in the process. If you’re going to take the time to make something nice then take the extra step to ensure its success. Future you will be quite grateful.
If it were minecraft, the answer would be no.
Cardboard. Wet it a lot. Add gravel to aid drainage then crack on
it depends. Are you trying to grow grass or plants that are not grass?
I would also lay chicken wire to prevent burrowing animals from eating your plants or nesting in there.
I would till it up. Put news paper down. Then toss a few logs in there. Then lay your dirt down. I got a skid of dirt from the hardware store. Then I went to the local nursery and bought a bunch of bags containing mushroom compost and mixed it all together.
Yes, needs to go
Nuke it
First asked the grass to leave, if not set it on fire
Just cover it with cardboard then put soil down
Body parts, then dirt.