Sheet Mulching: Transform Lawn into Garden Bed Without Digging

Sheet Mulching: Transform Lawn into Garden Bed Without Digging

Portland designer Margaret de Haas van Dorsser avoids sod stripping by smothering turf under 4–6 layers of newspaper and a load of manure, letting grass decompose naturally.

Process

1. Apply manure in fall; let sit all winter. Grass disappears, roots and all.
2. At spring planting time, plant directly through the rotted manure—no tilling needed.
3. Do not till in the manure—that would encourage weed seed germination.

Suitability

Works well on cool-season grasses (bent, bluegrass, fescue). Not recommended for Bermuda, St. Augustine, or zoysia lawns.

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