hey i shoveled out a patch of grass about 12 x 8 2 weeks ago and im noticing grass popping up in the sand everywhere. what should i do about that???? i have a plum tree and grape vine in the garden now and i dont want to kill them with weed killers or grass killers.
I would suggest to mulch heavily, under the mulch put newspaper several sheets on top of each other and then the mulch on top of that, grass needs the sun, by using paper and mulch it still allows the water to penetrate down and keeps the sun from getting to the grass roots this method should hold for several years, eventually the newspaper will rot and decompose into the soil. Areas can be easily cleared for more planting and then recovered.
Yes! I'm so glad to see someone post this sensible and easy (and affordable) advice. The newspaper-and-mulch trick is one I picked up years ago -- I think from George Schenck's book about shade gardening -- and have used many times. I think he recommended 10 layers of paper, but I've done okay with as few as 3 or 4. Then again, this is Maine, where we have no topsoil or heat or any of the other things grasses like. Amazing they grow at all, now that I think of it.
I've had good luck with cardboard covered with grass clippings to smother weeds. Usually by the next season it is rotted up nicely.
okay the cardboard thing sounds like a great idea! i cant actually get tons of boxes every night at work.
