Is the use of cardboard in no-till gardening killing your garden? Truth and soil consequences! 

You don't use soil, learn the difference.

To grow lettuce ? The energy equation and space provided by this compost layer is very limiting. Year 2 can’t be 1 inch not energetic enough.

@@mauromartino1960 Sorry, I do have an idea how no till and the cardboard method works. Never ever said the cardboard is used more than once. Where do I say this? The cardboard has done its damage already even before it has decayed . That is my issue. The soil below the cardboard is separated from the new compost and if stacked (two layers deep )can take up to two years to decompose completely! All that time the soil is suffocating and deprived of moisture, nutrients and oxygen! Microorganisms deprived of moisture and oxygen die within six hours if they aren’t able to find new sources. So yes I stand 100 % by these statements! Never heard of anyone growing in 1 inch of compost ? Are you taking about 4 inches the first year and 1 inch every year there after ? The reason the no tillers don’t recognize this issue is because they never go back to their original soil layer. They don’t know that state of this layer! Cardboard and compost on top put a lot of pressure on the original soil. I have dug up many of these gardens and have always been amazed of the state of the original soil. If you could explain to me how the layer of compost is integrated by the living organisms into the subsoil with the cardboard layers being in place I would love to know.

@@browner8125 Great questions. My answer is yes the cardboard creates a strange layer of separation. The best way to describe this is even when the cardboard has decayed the separation is still visible (noticeable) when you dig into this layer. My thoughts are the 4 months the cardboard was in place the soil below has taking on an anaerobic form that is incredibly apparent. Like a death zone. My rant was because many of the no-till RU-vid channels are advising their audience to use three thick layers now. Three layers is definitely a death sentence for your original soil. A lot of them had Bermudan grass creeping up where the cardboard wasn’t overlapping. I’ve dug up cardboard and filter cloth beds my observations were always the same the soil underneath was sterile and powdery. The lack of moisture was very apparent because the soil structure was destroyed. Nothing to keep the water in the soil. The soil underneath the cardboard is definitely in trouble.

@@Buildingenjoyment Do you still find worms in the bottom layer? And presumably as card board s not waterproof water must get through and worms move into the card board because they love the stuff. Or does that not happen?

@@dmbrookfieldworms are peculiar they love the protection of patio stones. Lift up a patio stone and worms are there. Any fisherman knows this. The same applies for the cardboard. The worms will climb up the soil column hit the cardboard and use it as protection. Controlling the cardboard layer by creating access between layers is their focus. As far as eating the cardboard my thoughts are the worms are quite aggressive and will eat almost anything organic. As for how long the cardboard lasts is a question of how the cardboard was made using diverse chemicals and if the cardboard was overlapped. The cardboard zone is similar to the patio stone scenario a place for worms to feel protected!

@@goodnerarts1206 I do have experience is this matter. Once you remove the soil on top of the cardboard and then remove the cardboard there is a different environment under the new setup !|This environment is void of all life and energy! That difference is what I’m getting at. Covering soil has consequences I don’t care what anyone says. The effect of even having for inches of wet compost on top of cardboard has a suffocating effect on the original soil. That is common sense. Not arguing at all that cardboard gardening doesn’t work. Of course it works because you’re adding real energy on top of the cardboard. Cardboard gardeners keep adding soil with success but never check on their soil below. The death and dryness is right there in plain view. Too many social media stars are promoting this cardboard method with euphoria and now asking their followers to use three layers to make sure no weeds creep up. There is a dark side to this and it is the death of your original soil.

@@Buildingenjoyment The technique you are describing, I would probably agree with you - there is no reason to continue sheet mulching a bed multiple seasons. Beds are fed by pulling year-old mulch from paths. Cardboard/fresh mulch is only reapplied to the walkways. The beds themselves will never need new cardboard after the first application. Sorry if I was rude earlier. Much love. ❤

@@goodnerarts1206 No worries. Thank you ! Cardboard gardening is protected fiercely . A discussion about possible different solutions is always important.

@@nikkicruden9494 Ok, here is the question? If you had good soil (salvageable) would you put cardboard over this soil to start a bed? The parking lot scenario with no or terrible soil is less interesting?

Hopefully you have a cement house !