posted 4 years ago
Even better, I've found, is to use something durable like old scraps of carpet, laid in well-overlapping layers. Put a cover mulch over it for aesthetics if desired, and leave it for a year or so. Then move to the next zone and plant up where it was. This is a slower process, but will give better control than a cardboard sheetmulch. In some cases it is more effective to push the vegetation down flat and mulch over it, rather than cutting it down first. This can be done with feet, or possibly with something like a weighted barrel rolled over the top. This is less prickly and dangerous than getting up next to things like blackberries or poison ivy in order to cut them by hand.