Question about putting cardboard down before mulch in my vegetable beds

I spent three years piling wood chips straight on top of my garden soil thinking it was helping. Then last month I pulled back a layer and found a ton of weed seeds sprouting right underneath. My neighbor saw me doing it and mentioned I should have used cardboard first to block the light. That simple thing changed everything because now my beds stay clear for months instead of weeks. Has anyone else had better luck with one method over the other for suppressing weeds?

2 comments

2 Comments

michael6931mo ago

Did you wet the cardboard down first so it doesn't slide around?

mila_craig41mo ago

Did you try wetting yours because you had trouble keeping it in place or something different?