I tried the viral 'cardboard method' in my raised garden bed — and it totally worked

cardboard in garden bed and flowering plant — (Image credit: Future)

As long as I can remember, I've always had a vegetable garden of some sort. When I was a kid, I would help my dad grow tomatoes, lettuce, cucumbers, and more. When I lived in an apartment, I had at least one basil plant, and in my current home, I have several raised garden beds.

Throughout, there's been one common enemy: weeds. So, to combat them this year, I decided to try a new trick I first read about on Tom's Guide, and guess what? It totally worked.

Using The Cardboard Method To Prep A Garden Bed 🌻 #gardening #gardeningtips #gardeninginspiration - YouTube

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It's called the "cardboard method," and involves laying down a few sheets of cardboard over top your planting beds to prevent weeds from sprouting up. As someone with no shortage of cardboard boxes, I decided to give it a try.

Preparing the bed

cardboard boxes in a garden bed — (Image credit: Future)

In late March, I flattened a few cardboard boxes out and placed them atop one of my raised garden beds. I then tossed about an inch or so of dirt and soil over top the cardboard, and then pretty much forgot about them for the next month. Except for a few days, it was still far too cold to plant anything outside.

A little more than one month later...

The weekend after Mother's Day proved ideal weather for planting; I picked up a bunch of tomato plants, some green beans, carrots, lots of basil, and s few pepper plants (don't worry; they're not all going in the same place).

So, it was time to see how well the cardboard method actually worked.

raised garden bed cardboard box buried — (Image credit: Future)

Success! Except for an errant potato plant (I have no idea how it got there) and a weed or two around the edges — the only area the cardboard didn't cover — my planter box was weed-free.

Even better, when I went to plant the tomato seedlings, the cardboard had decomposed, so I didn't have to poke my trowel through the fibrous paper. I planted the tomatoes in the ground, and then watered them. Now, I just have to wait until they grow and ripen.

The takeaway

tomatoes in a raised garden bed — (Image credit: Future)

I was pleasantly surprised at how well the cardboard method worked. It saved me from having to buy any kind of covering, and allowed me to reuse packaging that would otherwise have been tossed. I definitely plan on doing this again next year. I might even try these other ways to use cardboard in your garden, too.

I'd like to hear from you — have you tried using the cardboard method? What tips or tricks do you have for keeping weeds at bay in your garden? Let me know in the comments.

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Michael A. Prospero is the U.S. Editor-in-Chief for Tom’s Guide. He oversees all evergreen content and oversees the Homes, Smart Home, and Fitness/Wearables categories for the site. In his spare time, he also tests out the latest drones, electric scooters, and smart home gadgets, such as video doorbells. Before his tenure at Tom's Guide, he was the Reviews Editor for Laptop Magazine, a reporter at Fast Company, the Times of Trenton, and, many eons back, an intern at George magazine. He received his undergraduate degree from Boston College, where he worked on the campus newspaper The Heights, and then attended the Columbia University school of Journalism. When he’s not testing out the latest running watch, electric scooter, or skiing or training for a marathon, he’s probably using the latest sous vide machine, smoker, or pizza oven, to the delight — or chagrin — of his family.