I'm a big fan of cardboard, too!
But it doesn't kill everything under it--
the bindweed, for example, just laughs at me

Well yes.
The obnoxious bindweed.....
I pull as much as I can - NEVER let it seed.
And if it gets away from me, I break my organic rule.....
So I try extra hard to pull it whenever/wherever I see it.

virginiarose said:Arlene, I had good success with the black landscape fabric

That stuff irritates me by letting things seed on TOP of it and making them impossible to pull up when they have rooted THROUGH the fabric.

They call it morning glory in these parts and there is a saying around here for getting mired in the garden and neglecting to do whatever else--
oh, I didn't make it to the store, yet, sorry... 'I got morning gloried'

crittergarden said:

That stuff irritates me by letting things seed on TOP of it and making them impossible to pull up when they have rooted THROUGH the fabric.

The only use I have for landscape fabric anymore is temporary and mobile i.e. between veggie rows one season or under potted plants 'till I get around to planting.
I have found it infuriating and ineffective for any other application when undesirables from above and below are all tangled up in it, and I hate trying to extract it and fixing that mess.

dirtdorphins said:sorry... 'I got morning gloried'

We've had great success with the weed barrier in the old vegetable garden paths and using the same fabric, topped with the long pine needles in paths. I do add more pine needles each year but any weeds that do arrive were wind blown seeds and have been easy to remove.

I've had good luck with it except for this year because of the rain and ability to get out there. It works well for my paths. Sometimes I also mulch on top with straw, sometimes not.

I would not use it anywhere that I dig up plants I know it will tear the roots. I did not have any problem with re-seeding, I think it was the mulch with the preen in it. I also have done walkways.

@flflwrgirl if you lick your fingers before pulling the sandspurs off your clothes it really helps. I had a male Greyhound who just HAD to pull the hateful things out of the laces on my sceakers...got very upset if I didn't let him...silly dog

And they didn't hurt the dog?

awww....he loves his mommy!!

He didn't seem to mind...it was a fight to the finish with me trying to stop him

protective pack instinct

@gingin Okay, I'll lick my fingers.

I'll try anything once if only to find out if it works. But by doing that, I have found some oddball things that actually work.

Been there, done that...it really does help

Amazing. Almost makes me want to go out there & get stuck by some stickers to test it out.

Only 3?

1. Poison Ivy
2. Certain trees (just moved here, clearing space for my garden)
3.Toss up between the creeping stuff with purple flowers and the one with white flowers - covering with cardboard helped get rid of them in my old garden - but the crept back from the neighbors untended spaces)

I'm guessing the purple one is night shade and the white one is bindweed.
Bittersweet Nightshade (Solanum dulcamara)
http://www.oardc.ohio-state.ed...


I'd get the bindweed first, as it is horribly difficult once well established.
UNLESS you have a small child or a dog that might eat the nightshade, which is poisonous.

I live in Pittsburgh is why I guessed these plants.
I LIKE the nightshade but I don't have kids.
The bindweed will strangle good plants.
http://garden.org/search/index...

Hmmm...3 things...

I would have to say Buckthorn seedlings(hundreds every Spring), lawn grass(my DH loves it) and European Starlings.

The bindweed is almost all gone after a 9 year battle. It still has weak hold in 2 places but it was all over both front and back when we moved in 9 years ago.