How to Use Corrugated Cardboard As Mulch
Using corrugated cardboard as mulch lets you recycle biodegradable materials and protect the roots of your plant at the same time. Garden mulch applied to the base of a plant helps to prevent soil erosion, retains moisture in the soil and keeps the roots of the plant warm. Corrugated cardboard, like the cardboard used in boxes and signs, is a readily available resource that can easily be broken down to use as environmentally friendly mulch in your garden. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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Remove all non-biodegradable materials from the cardboard. This includes packaging staples, tape or plastic stickers and signs that may adorn the box.
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Cut large corrugated cardboard boxes or signs into easily handled sheets. For packaging boxes, use a box-cutter or all-purpose utility knife to cut the boxes on the folds for easy handling.
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Tear or cut the corrugated cardboard into small pieces. For best results, cut the cardboard mulch pieces no smaller than one inch by one inch and no large than three inches by three inches. Small pieces of corrugated cardboard mulch will blow away too easily and large pieces will not look attractive around your plants.
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Place a layer of the cardboard mulch around the base of your plant. Make the layer about two to three inches deep and extend it out from the base of the plant at least four inches to provide adequate root coverage.
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Soak the cardboard mulch with water. This holds the mulch in place and provides a moisture-rich cover for the soil and plant roots.
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Water as needed to keep the mulch moist, but not too wet. Too much moisture causea root-rot. Corrugated cardboard mulch will blow away very easily if not kept moist.
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Tips & Warnings
Apply a thin layer of standard garden mulch on top of the cardboard mulch to help hold it in place.
Thin corrugated cardboard mulch will break down very quickly, so it may be necessary to apply additional mulch often to keep plant roots protected.
