Cardboard as a mulch

The market gardeners have a special fork the width of the beds (in my case 2 foot wide) which has two handles. The fork is inserted then eased back and moved along the rows whilst walking backwards, which in my case is quite easy as I have beds either side. I will probably make my own from scrap metal and use it to 'ease' the soil through the cardboard and organic mulch before planting. In this way it will still aerate the soil a bit, relieving compaction at the same time. :cool:

The tool I will make will be summat like this as I am too tight to spend this amount on one! :Dhttps://www.amazon.co.uk/Spear-Jackson-81214-Garden-Fork/dp/B081TFBYLN/ref=asc_df_B081TFBYLN/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=463213563059&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=1906680666416705216&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1006659&hvtargid=pla-881554923296&psc=1&th=1&psc=1

I like that idea Vinny, opening up and airating the soil without turning it, I know that the no dig method works well but like you said in your last post, the worms are required as they are good for airating the soil, in areas where the flatworms are dominant, a type of fork like that with a slight modification could work well in a nodig raised bed, plus piercing any cardboard layer below the surface

Well, that worked!!!

Got you discussing something.

Cardboard is made from very finely chipped wood, soaked, rolled and squeezed into sheets. So woodchip is just very, very, very coarse cardboard. One costs, the other is free. Both do the same job - easy decision.

I wonder what the weeds under cardboard really die of then. May be they are they suffocated due to lack of air?

And of course worms like it under cardboard. They are warm and cosy, protected from the weather and safe from the early birds.

I'll be carrying on using cardboard it goes on my beds and in my daleks.