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How to Kill Grass With Cardboard & Newspaper
How to Kill Grass With Cardboard & Newspaper. Adding a new garden to a grassy area of the landscape does not always require physical labor or the use of herbicides. If you want an organic grass-killing method, use materials you probably already have on hand. Consider using layers of newspaper and cardboard to kill grass. The layers allow moisture...
Adding a new garden to a grassy area of the landscape does not always require physical labor or the use of herbicides. If you want an organic grass-killing method, use materials you probably already have on hand. Consider using layers of newspaper and cardboard to kill grass. The layers allow moisture to pass through to the soil but suffocate grass and prevent sunlight from reaching the blades. Sunlight is needed for photosynthesis, so the grass dies when it cannot produce nutrients through photosynthesis. As an added benefit, the newspaper and cardboard break down over time and add organic material to soil.
Things You'll Need
Lawnmower
Hose, stakes or string
Newspaper
Cardboard
Wheelbarrow
Water
Remove any rocks from the area and mow the grass close to the ground.
Clearly mark off the area where you intend to use the newspaper and cardboard to kill grass. Mark it with a hose, stakes or string.
Gather up old newspaper and cardboard. Place them in a pile close to your work area. Do not use glossy pages from magazines or junk mail to suffocate grass. These pieces of paper add toxins to the soil as the paper breaks down.
Fill a wheelbarrow with water.
Add the newspaper and cardboard to the water to dampen them. Damp materials will stay in place if there are strong winds during this organic grass-killing method.
Lay a ?-inch thick layer of damp newspaper and cardboard over the grass. Begin laying materials in the corner farthest away from you. Do not walk over the materials once they are covering the grass. The paper and cardboard may rip, allowing sunlight to reach the grass blades.
Lay the newspaper and cardboard so that the edges overlap. This will block sunlight from reaching the grass, causing the grass to die.
Check the materials for dryness on a daily basis. Spray the layers of newspaper and cardboard with water when they begin to dry. This prevents the material from blowing away during strong winds. You can also place large rocks along the edges of the paper and cardboard to weigh them down.
Tips & Warnings
It can take as long as six weeks to kill the grass in areas where the grass is dense.
It can take as little as two weeks to kill the grass in areas where the grass is thin.
