Although some of us actually like to weed, many people don’t have that view.
To cut down on weeding, place cardboard or 6 sheets of newspaper around your plants and cover with 4″ of straw. In a small home garden, one bale is likely enough for your entire vegetable garden or blueberry patch, maybe for both. Local straw from Home Depot is about $5.00 a bale. The $5.00, plus the tax in addition to the gas money and time to take the trip, are pretty cheep compared to the time you could spend weeding.
In addition to cutting down on your weeding, this also helps build healthy living soil. It breaks down to create richer, blacker soil, so don’t remove it at season’s end.
Want more straw cheaper ? Check Craigs List for farmers selling it within 100 miles of you. Then plan a family day trip to a site close to where the farm is where you’ll pick up your straw bales. The fun will offset the gas cost and you’ll support a small local farm.
Prior Unity Garden Blog 