Cardboard boxes are fundamentally made of layers of paperboard, which makes them biodegradable and safe to compost. Utilizing these characteristics, gardeners can cut costs in garden care expenses and use the abundance of cardboard in their homes to fix weed problems. Cardboards can be used to smother weeds growing in-ground or in raised garden beds. The material can be simply layered in gardens to stop the weeds from growing. For perennial or annual plants, cardboard rings can be installed to ensure a weed-free bed. Similarly, even walkways in the yard can be free of weeds by placing a layer of mulch and gravel on top of the cardboard spread out in the path.
Toxic plants like poison ivy can be killed without manual removal using cardboard boxes. Sheets of cardboard placed on the spots with these plants discourage their growth while also eliminating the existing ones. Besides that, the material is handy in several other ways to upkeep a garden environment. For unique gardening methods like lasagna gardening, sufficient green and brown materials are needed. The latter includes materials that are rich in carbon, and cardboard is fortunately one of them. Mixing cardboards with dried leaves, straw, and other materials in a compost bin, in addition to nitrogen-rich components, will effectively restore nutrients and organic matter into the garden soil for better plant growth. Stark Bro's shares how to layer cardboards for weed control on YouTube.
Not only weeds, but cardboard boxes can also be used to deter pests from your yard or garden. Pests like slugs and snails are a common occurrence in gardens. Kelly Funk, President and CEO of Jackson & Perkins, suggested a simple hack to use cardboards as a trap for these pests. Laying down pieces of damp cardboard on the garden soil overnight will attract these insects and can be used as a trap. As they gather in and around the cardboard, gardeners can easily collect them using a shovel and remove them from the area. This method eliminates the need for pesticides and ensures organic gardens remain chemical-free, per Southern Living.
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