Maybe a weird question but... I made a blanket recently for someone and then the relationship ended. It's a beautiful blanket but is personalized in such a way that I can't use it as is for anything else. I have been considering ways to dismantle it and use the parts for positive, healing things.
I have hesitated to use cardboard much in lasagna gardening because of the concerns Paul has expressed about the glues and chemicals. So, I was wondering ... Do you think cotton quilt batting could work and be a good option? It's a pretty thin layer but the no dye kind like this:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000YZ3RQA?tag=duckduckgo-fpas-20&linkCode=osi&th=1&psc=1
Unfortunately, unless it is organic quilt batting it will probably still have residues from the enormous amount of pesticides and herbicides used in cotton production. When I was weaving full time I did a lot of research on just what was used on cotton crops and how much was left on the fiber itself after processing...and the less processed had more residue of course.
So, I personally wouldn't use it in food production but maybe in another spot...a flower garden? maybe natural dye plants or other non food landscaping plants?
If you are curious about what is currently being used to grow conventional cotton crops check out a mainstream farming magazine.
I wonder about fire retardants also? seems like a lot of fabrics and things intended for bedding have them now.
I used several 100% cotton white sheets from the local thrift store when removing a huge area of grass with wood chips. I recognize it may contain some less than desirable compounds due to it not being organic cotton so I did stick to areas that were going to be paths and the places that I was just loading a bunch of chips and didnt plan to plant until future seasons. I kept to cardboard, straw, compost in the areas I planted into right away. It did work very well in suppressing the grass and weeds from coming up and now after a couple of years I have dug in a few areas that I used the sheets and they are gone.
Chris Zelenka wrote:I used several 100% cotton white sheets from the local thrift store when removing a huge area of grass with wood chips. I recognize it may contain some less than desirable compounds due to it not being organic cotton so I did stick to areas that were going to be paths and the places that I was just loading a bunch of chips and didnt plan to plant until future seasons. I kept to cardboard, straw, compost in the areas I planted into right away. It did work very well in suppressing the grass and weeds from coming up and now after a couple of years I have dug in a few areas that I used the sheets and they are gone.
That is an important distinction...how much the cotton has been washed. I don't know of any research but have to assume there is less residue the more an item is laundered? I have old rags I throw in the compost...it is only new non organic cotton straight from the mill with little processing that I would worry about...as in batting, loose fiber, spools of natural rug warp (what I was using), etc.
I appreciate the suggestions! It's serendipitous that my sister gave me a packet of natural dye flower seeds this year. Never seen them before and that's the exact suggestion! I have a mostly very grassy area I want to clear for them so I'll use it for that instead of the garden bed I was hoping for.
I put a piece of cotton sheet in a wicking planter box between the rocks and soil when I built it 3 years ago. I had to take the soil out before recommissioning it this spring, and there was not even a trace of the sheet left.
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