|
Fri, May 4, 12 at 10:57
| I placed a layer of cardboard down under my new raised bed frames and then added soil. How long before the cardboard breaks down? Seems like the soil is always wet recently. Should I poke holes with a metal stake to improve drainage? Planting in 11 days! |
Follow-Up Postings:
|
| When cardboard gets good and soaked moisture wicks through it, that's one of it's big advantages. Nor will it last long buried and damp as you have it, so I don't think there is a concern. |
|
- Posted by purpleinopp 8b AL (My Page) on Fri, May 4, 12 at 14:45
| If you put the cardboard down to smother something, poking holes would defeat the purpose. What soil did you fill it with? By bed frames, you mean just sides, right? Not something with a bottom? |
|
| it would break down in due course. see our presentation that paper and cardboard in our climate was basically gone in 6 months no sign at all by 12 months, the worms will eat holes through it. depending on what you sued as a medium? don't over water. len |
Here is a link that might be useful: lens straw bale garden
|
| How active the Soil food Web is determines how quickly any material, such as cardboard, will be digested. I have seen cardboard out down on fairly sterile soil and found it still intact a year later and have put cardboard down on my soil and found it gone in 6 months. Was this cardboard put down on soil that was compacted and poorly draining or on a loose soil that drained too quickly? |
Please Note: Only registered members are able to post messages to this forum. If you are a member, please log in. If you aren't yet a member, join now!
Return to the Soil Forum
Instructions
- You must be a registered member and logged in to post messages on our forums.
- Posting is a two-step process. Once you have composed your message, you will be taken to the preview page. You will then have a chance to review the contents and make changes.
- After posting your message, you may need to refresh the forum page in order to see it.
- It is illegal to post copyrighted material without the owner's consent.
- HTML codes are allowed in the message field only.
- No advertising is allowed in any of the forums.
- If you would like to practice posting or uploading photos, please visit our Test forum.
- If you need assistance, please Contact Us and we will be happy to help.