Wintering your Garden the Easy Way

Every year, when I wanted to start up my vegetable garden, I would spend DAYS with a rototiller, and a fork, and till the soil for hours on end, trying to dig up and turn the grass and weeds that had grown in since the fall. It was backbreaking work, and it’s my last time doing it.

I found a way better way.

I found a great way not only to prevent the weeds from growing in, but to add compost to the soil as well.

Yes, I’ve been saving cardboard all year. Why do you ask?

Step 1: Cover the garden with cardboard

If you have huge hills in the soil, you may want to smooth them out first, and lay the cardboard flat over the soil. A single layer of corrugated cardboard is fine, and you want to avoid the kind that is painted or has a plastic coating. You can also use newspaper, brown paper, or anything except glossy paper. Good way to get rid of a TON of recycling!

Step 2: Cover the cardboard in grass clippings

Use grass clippings and green waste to completely cover the cardboard, at least 2″ thick, but more is better (up to 18″). DO NOT USE FOOD WASTE! If you use food waste and scraps that have not already been decomposed, you will attract pests and rats. If you have compost that’s already broken down, you can add this as well. Even after hoarding grass clippings for months, I didn’t have enough, so I offered to rake my neighbour’s yard, and VOILA! Tons of green waste!

Step 3: Water 

Spray down the garden until the cardboard is wet. If you have a very dry fall, you may need to water is occasionally to keep it moist.

That’s it.

The cardboard prevents the light from getting to the soil, and prevents the growth of weeds. As the winter comes, the cardboard will get wet and decompose, and the grass clippings will add nutrients to the soil.