Come learn how to kill weeds naturally with no tilling required. This method of building your soil is also sometimes called the Lasagna Method or the Sheet Mulch Method. Find out how to make it work! Save this to Pinterest so you can have it each gardening season!
Most gardeners struggle with weeds and grass in their garden beds. But what if I told you that there is a way to kill weeds naturally in garden beds with no tilling while building your soil? Well there is and I’ve been using this method for years now with great success. Here’s how to create better soil and kill weeds naturally and do both with no tilling required.
No Tilling
The No Tilling method is also called the Sheet Mulch Method or the Lasagna Method. It is a Permaculture idea and seeks to build the soil in our garden to take care of the Earth. The idea is to build your soil with different layers of natural elements and smoother weeds while doing so. This requires the use of cardboard boxes or newspapers, leaves or branches, compost, top soil and finally mulch or straw. On our farm, we don’t have many large trees that drop leaves without disease (making sure your leaves don’t have bug eggs or diseases is important.). Our Sugar Maples are all still too small to really create enough of an impact for our garden so we will skip the sticks and leaves layer.
However, we always start with the cardboard boxes, layer in compost and top soil and top it off with mulch.
How we got started
When I started building my garden here at the farm, we had very poor soil. Our soil is clay and while that is fine for growing some things, it isn’t the best for others. Also, our property is very low lying with a very high water table. Our property can be incredibly soggy, especially during the rainy seasons. When I decided on a place to put our garden, it was unfortunately a very soggy place. But I didn’t have much of a choice. The next best place to put it would have been a slight hill we have that always stays dry. However, I wanted to put an animal barn there some day. I knew the animals would need the driest place. In my head, that spot was out. So, we went with the soggy spot and began to build raised garden beds so our plants didn’t get root rot.
My goal for this farm is to do everything we can to help the planet and make sure that – to the best of our abilities – we are doing good things for the land. No one’s sustainability and planet loving actions are perfect. But many times, little steps matter. Even if it’s just our little seven acres, it’s better than nothing.
How to kill weeds naturally and get better soil with no tilling
In order to help build my soil and kill weeds naturally, my plan was simple: Cardboard. Cardboard (or newspaper) will help to smoother weeds and build better soil for you as it breaks down. It blocks the light and the grass dies without the light.
If you are just building raised beds, here is how we started our’s:
Step 1
First, you want to use a weed whacker to get the grass and weeds in your raised beds as short as possible. If you skip this step the cardboard will sort of float on top of the tall grass and lay funny. Besides, dead grass clippings help to nourish your soil. I do not recommend putting landscape fabric at the bottom of the boxes because it does not break down and does not help your soil.
Step 2: Cardboard
Next you want to cut your cardboard to fit your boxes and then layer it. Cardboard doesn’t usually come in exact squares. Layering it allow you to make sure there’s no little spot where grass will sneak through. Also, if your cardboard has tape or labels on it, take it off. And never use cardboard with staples in it.
You can find plain cardboard on Amazon here and it actually does come in helpful squares! You can also find boxes at various hardware stores and moving companies. Lastly, if you want to try and get it for free – without shopping online – check with big box stores and see if they’re willing to give you some.
2023 UPDATE: We no longer use boxes that have been shipped to us with goods in them – like boxes from Amazon. Instead we now prefer to buy cardboard boxes for all of our beds. Home Depot boxes are made out of 100 percent recycled material. Basically, we got tired of picking tape off and don’t want the glue in our soil. Buying boxes for our beds costs about $60 and today we have 26 beds.
Step 3: Dirt and Compost
Third, wet it and add something heavy on top – wood, cinder blocks, mulch or even some of the dirt you will fill the boxes with to keep it from blowing away. If you’re planning to add all your dirt right away, which is what I did my first year because we got a late start to the season that year, that is the best way to go. Some people also like to water the beds right away to soften the cardboard. I usually do not do this.
You can then plant in your beds right away or wait a few days. The first year, we planted right in the compost mix we added to the top layer because the cardboard was on the bottom of everything. Now that we are several years into planting and building our soil, I usually cut through the cardboard, dig a hole for my seedling and pop the plant in. The soil underneath will be that nice, rich soil you have built up in previous years and your plant will thrive in it. The cardboard will then also help to keep the roots warm on cold nights and cool on hotter days.
To cut through my cardboard, I use a tool like this {HERE}. This is my favorite garden tool because it does everything.
Moving into the season
Throughout the season, the rain or water from your hose will help to break down the cardboard further. The grass and weeds below it will be dead. They should not create a huge issue for you throughout the season. By the time the weeds even think about popping up whatever plants you have growing will be large enough to begin blocking them out. They are easier to pull because they are more than likely growing just in that top layer of soil versus the underneath layers.
What do you fill the bed with?
I spoke at the West Michigan Home and Garden Show this year (now it is 2024) and as we discussed this idea, people wanted to know what we filled the beds with. We will usually switch off adding top soil and compost to the beds each year. When you first make a new bed, you will need enough soil and/or compost to fill the whole bed with about 2 inches of space at the top. Depending on ho many beds you have, you might have to shop around and see where you can get a good compost or garden soil. Usually buying it in bulk from soil companies is a better cost savings than buying it in bags.
Because we have built our soil up so high now, we do not need a lot of it. Instead of bringing in a truck with compost or dirt, we can now just buy bags too top off our cardboard and hold it in place.
Step 4: Mulch
Once your plants have been planted, add mulch on top of the soil. The much will help to keep the roots of the plants cool on warm days and warm on cool nights. It also helps to retain moisture longer so even if you are going through a period of little rain, once wet, the mulch will be able to help keep things moist.
When looking for mulch you want to look for two things.
1. No dyes or additives. Use natural mulch. No black mulch, red or anything else that has been colored.
2. Use mulch that is shredded nicely verses those larger pieces of bark. We tend to use playground mulch. Because it is going on a playground with kids, it has no dyes and it has been double filtered so things like glass and trees that had poison ivy are filtered out.
No tilling method year after year
The cardboard, plus your soil, plus mulch will start to create a rich foundation for future gardens. It will all breakdown together and naturally add to the soil. You can repeat the cardboard process at the end of the season each and/or at the start of every new season. This will create a cycle that requires no tilling. Year after year your soil will become better through the No Tilling Method or the Sheet Mulch Method and you will be killing weeds naturally too.
Does this method work for everyone?
There is no one size fits all in gardening and the No Tilling Method will not work for every one. You can use this method if you have raised beds or prefer to plant your garden directly in the ground of your backyard garden. It works really well to kill weeds naturally and build soil for both ways of gardening.
When you get into large scale agriculture, or gardens in the ground that are 1/4 acre or larger, this method will be very costly year after year and tilling is a better option for those gardens. I will tell you our flower fields are about 1/4 of an acre and while we still build that soil with compost, we till that soil and use cover crops to help with soil erosion and nutrient retention – as do most farmers.
I truly believe it is important for everyone in the gardening community to respect the different growing practices of other’s. Often, I see people online being rude because they believe someone is doing “it” wrong, or they truly believe there is only one right way of doing things when it comes to gardening. There are multiple ways to garden. It is an art and a science. As a community we should be open to learning and understanding all of those methods so we can find the one that works best for us and what we want to grow.
Update…on No Till Gardening & Killing Weeds Naturally
I originally wrote this article when we moved into the farmhouse four and a half years ago. I try to update it each year as my garden grows and knowledge increases. We are now going into our 6th gardening season here on the farm and our garden has grown – A LOT. We went from the 10 boxes we made that first year to 32 boxes in year two! You can see it all {HERE}. And then this year we reduced and went to 26 boxes. We also have a 1/4 acre wildflower field for the pollinators and about 1/4 acre of a cut flower field.
For all our raised boxes – our food – we used this No Tilling Method to kill weeds naturally and help to build our soil.
Will you never have grass or weeds in your raised beds? No. But each summer someone on Instagram always asks me why we don’t ” have any weeds or grass in the beds”. This is why, friends.
To prep the beds now, we pull all the weeds and grass that might have crept up during the off season. Then we lay the cardboard directly on top of the soil from the past season. No tilling. Last, we add more compost and/or soil back to the top. Our beds have flourished. The soil is healthy, loose and this method saves our backs throughout the entire growing season. You can see a snapshot above from the end of the 2020 season. There’s also one of me above from this season (2023) with the boxes this year.
Looking for more gardening resources?
If you are looking for more gardening resources, check out these topics:
- What is Permaculture? {HERE}
- How to make inexpensive raised beds {HERE}
- How to plan a garden {HERE}
- Companion Planting Chart for Garden Vegetables {HERE}
- Companion Planting for Herbs {HERE}
- Flowers & Herbs to repel bugs {HERE}
- Growing a food forest {HERE}
Visit on our Social Channels!
- Instagram @sugarmaplefarmhouse
- Pinterest Pinterest Sugar Maple Farmhouse
- YouTube Sugar Maple Farmhouse
- Facebook Sugar Maple Farmhouse
- Tik Tok Sugar Maple Farmhouse
Happy gardening season, friends! I hope we see you again soon. Please let me know if you have any questions in the comments!
Amber Myers says
I will keep this in mind. We do have some awful weeds that I want to get rid of, and I prefer to do it naturally. Your garden looks awesome!
REna says
I love all of your container beds. I can imagine how much of a PIA that would be to weed! I love the idea of using cardboard. It’s so much healthier for the ground than plastic.
Marlene Weyrich says
The English Gardner uses plain newspaper not shiny magazine paper. Put your mulch over it
Tara Pittman says
I am trying something similar in my yard this year. I am trying black plastic over the the areas.
Rachel Quenzer says
Just be careful with the plastic. Water might not be able to get through either and it won’t bio-degrade in the beds.
Tasheena says
This post is really helpful and informative. Thank you for sharing these tips!I have to make sure to try them with my fall garden.
Mama to 6 Blessings says
Thank you so much for posting this. I have been telling my husband that I want a vegetable garden but I did not know how to start. You explained everything so nicely.
Rachel Quenzer says
You’re welcome!
Beth says
This is a fantastic way to kill grass and weeds without harming the environment or putting yourself at risk. The yard I have right now is very shady, but I’d love to have a sunny spot for a garden.
Kathy says
This is a great way to kill off all those weeds. I’m glad you posted about this. I didn’t do a garden this year, but I’m sure I will next year.
Amberly says
Your garden beds look so beautiful! I’ll keep this in mind for when we plant flowers in my front yard next year.
Wren says
This is great! I love those beds! I am always looking for ways to eliminate my weeds!
Kita Bryant says
I am so bad with plants I would probably be bad with the weed lol but this is great to know. HOpefully one day I will get my outside skills in order
Ruth I says
That is genius! I had no idea there is a natural way to kill grass and weeds other than pulling it. Thank you for these tips!
Catalina says
This sounds so easy to make by ourselves! I should show this to my husband!
Monica Y says
I need to try this on the garden, I keep getting weeds and not able to grow healthy vegetables, thanks for the tips
Melissa Dixon says
I love the idea of laying down cardboard, I have not thought about that. I used the newspaper but this makes much more sense. So cool! I will have to try it.
Nadalie Bardo says
I SOOO need to do this to my yard. I am ready to create a raised bed for my plants.
Tess says
I love those garden beds! I’m going to try this for our landscape too.
Jennifer says
I never thought about using cardboard before. That is a great idea!
Holly Davis says
Your garden and property look so beautiful! Thanks for the tips!
Shannon Gurnee says
I never thought about doing this in a garden! This is a great idea! Thanks for sharing.
Mama Maggie's Kitchen says
I really need these helpful tips. Grass and weeds can really ruin your garden. Thanks for sharing!
Star Traci says
Great tip! I had no idea that cardboard was a solution to weeds. I am trying to live with fewer chemicals so I will definitely try this. Thanks!
Krizzia Scollon says
Thanks for sharing this! I don’t know a lot about gardening and I’ve learned so much just by reading this post!
Ricci says
These are great tips for killing weeds without harming the plants you are trying to grow! Thanks for this informative post!
Heather says
Love this! I don’t like to use chemicals if I don’t have to, so thank you!
Ulrich says
Wonderful blog! Do you have any hints for aspiring writers?
I’m planning to start my own blog soon but I’m a little lost on everything.
Would you propose starting with a free platform like Wordpress or
go for a paid option? There are so many options out there that I’m completely
overwhelmed .. Any tips? Appreciate it!
Marysa says
I can’t even imagine using Roundup. That is crazy! This sounds like a great method to use. I pull a lot of weeds by hand, and never resort to chemicals.
Amber Myers says
I will try out your tips. My backyard has a TON of weeds and they are driving me nuts.
melissa chapman says
The garden is really taking great shape. You have some very useful tips for killing weeds and for tidying up a backyard garden.
Anna Elle Liz says
These photos are stunning! How I wish I could have a green thumb like this 🌱! These are such great tips!
Ben says
This is fantastic! There is nothing more annoying than constantly weeding. Love this idea.
Samantha Laycock says
This is such good information. Thank you very much!
Wren says
This is fantastic! As I start my own raised garden bed, I can use all the tips I can get!
Eileen M Loya says
Loving your tips. It is very environment friendly and it saves you a lot of time too. I will try and do this in the small garden space we have in our back yard.
Lavende & Lemonade says
LOVE LOVE LOVE that you’re making responsible decisions for your garden and the planet! Thank you so much for sharing ways to be more environmentally conscious in the garden.
Jessica Berry says
I LOVE your gardens! They are beautiful. I’ve always wanted to do something like this, but don’t have a green thumb. But this is definitely an inspiration!!!!!!
Brittany says
I had no idea about the lawsuit. Thanks for sharing this alternative method to dealing with weeds.
Briana Baker says
This is awesome! We have a lot of stuff in our grass from our tree that we need to kill!
Briana Baker says
Love this! You have all the best gardening advice!! Your beds look great!
Kita Bryant says
I need to do this. I would love to have a clean looking garden space.
Anosa says
This was very useful and handy, I am having flatbeds installed in my bed for my veggies so this is insightful to read.
Nikki Wayne says
I couldn’t agree more.. I prefer cleaner and safer methods like this. Thanks.
Ryan Escat says
I also say no to Round up and any other kind of chemical. Glad you shared about this easy and natural way to kill the weeds.
Amber says
More than ever people are wanting to do things naturally. Some awesome ideas shared!
Lisa Kenyon says
Such a smart and easy solution! My coworker was just talking about wanting an eco friendly way to garden, I will be passing this along to her!
MELANIE EDJOURIAN says
These are great tips to kill grass and weeds naturally. I have never done it before.
Sarah says
I’ve seen that, blocking them with cardboard, a couple times lately and thought that was interesting. I hadnt seen that before.
Heather says
We are hoping to start a garden this year. Would love to do things naturally so thanks for the great tips.
Catalina says
Gardening is so beautiful, especially when you have the right tips to make gardening easier. Thanks!
Rachel says
I was looking for a raised bed tutorial. Thank you!
Elizabeth says
Fabulous article – thank you for sharing natural methods for getting rid of weeds! It absolutely breaks my heart when I see my neighbors outside spraying the Round Up all over!
Ivan M. Jose says
Weeds are a constant problem in our garden, too. I’ll definitely look into this method.
Danielle says
This is so clever. I’ll be doing this this year!
vidya says
will definitely try this out for the weeds we have in our garden
Swathi says
You guys have green thumb. Yes weeds are grass too especially crab grass ones. We have started working on the garden. After the snow storm plants and trees are coming back now here.
Sonia Seivwright says
This was really helpful, thank you very much.
Jenn @ EngineerMommy says
Our flower beds can get out of control with weeds so easily. I will try your suggestions.
melissa major says
These are some wonderful tips, I keeps them in mind once I have my own garden hopefully.
Nadalie Bardo says
The season has just started and ALREADY I feel like I’m fighting weeds all day every day.
Aly says
Thank you so much for this! It’s such a struggle!
Mary Cheney says
Wish this method worked on rose bushes. I rip my hands to shreds yanking grass out from all the woody roots and stalks. And the thistle weeds – yikes. The cardboard method would need to be cut up into itty bitty patches to surround each bush. Any thoughts?
Mary says
I have container gardens that have been taken over by crab grass from the soil I used. Do you think the card board would work for crab grass too? How much soil do you put on top at the end of the season? Do think January is too late to do it?
Cristine says
Would you do add cardboard to a bed at the end of the season before snow or in the spring before right before planting? My garden beds are a mess this year and wondering. Thanks!
Rachel says
You could do it at the end of the season, but then I would just put mulch on top of it or stones to hold it in place. At that point it would be there to prevent anything from growing in the off season and help to build the soil for you in the next season.