Autumn is a time of anticipation. We look forward to a break from summer’s heat and humidity, those wonderful colored leaves that light up the landscape, a visit to the local apple orchard, and preparations for Halloween and the holidays to come. But for gardeners, it may also be a time of looking back at last season’s gardens and noting what worked and what might need changing for next year. If enlarging a garden area or even establishing a new one is on your list, you would do well to consider the cardboard method for creating garden space.

This method involves a series of steps using cardboard (or newspapers) to eliminate the need to dig up the lawn for planting of new garden areas. The process creates ready to plant areas in four to five months, so the best time to do it is in the fall so that you will be ready for spring planting without having to manually dig up any sod — a very labor intensive and wasteful activity.

Here are the steps:

1. Decide where you want to enlarge a current bed or establish a new planting area. This new bed could be any shape you desire — rectangular, round, or even kidney shaped. One popular design which benefits pollinators is a circular area under an existing tree, creating a “soft landing” for caterpillars later in the season. 2. Whatever shape you choose, it is helpful to outline the perimeter on the grass using an old garden hose laid out on the ground. This line can be sprayed with a spray paint designed for lawns available at most hardware stores. This paint is not permanent and will be very helpful to visualize exactly where to place the cardboard.

3. Now you can begin to cover your area with sheets of cardboard or eight to ten layers of newspaper — black and white newsprint only. Likewise, cardboard should be plain brown with no tape or colored coating as we want materials which decompose easily. Use multiple layers of cardboard, overlapping edges five to six inches where possible. This will suppress grass or weeds from growing up through your cardboard blanket.

4. Water the cardboard. This will help to keep the cardboard in place in case of wind and will help with the decomposition process. Putting down some bricks or stones will also help to keep the cardboard in place while you continue your project.

5. Cover the cardboard by applying a six-inch layer of mulch or wood chips. Make sure to cover the overlap areas and the perimeter well.

6. An alternate method is to apply a layer of topsoil first, followed by a layer of mulch or wood chips. This is a good choice if the soil under the bed is not optimal, or if you want a slightly raised bed.

7. Using a small shovel, cut into the soil around the perimeter of the new bed. This will result in a better edge and help to preserve the outline of your design.

8. It will usually take three to four months for the grass under the cardboard to die off, so overwintering is the perfect time for the grass to be killed and the cardboard to disintegrate. When spring comes, you will be ready to plant (natives we hope) directly in the new area — no digging up turf.

There are many advantages of the cardboard method:

1. It provides effective weed and grass suppression by blocking sunlight, smothering grass and weeds while preventing new seed germination.

2. It improves soil health by introducing beneficial carbon and organic matter.

3. Beneficial organisms such as earthworms and microbes are attracted.

4. It is budget-friendly and eco-friendly. No plastic weed barriers or chemical herbicides are needed. Also, you will be recycling cardboard/newspapers which otherwise you would have taken to the transfer station.

5. It is a no-till method, preserving the soil structure and your back.

So, if you can spend a few hours this fall doing the steps listed above, you will be saving time and effort in the spring when there are already so many gardening chores to be done. Who knew that recycling in your own yard could be such a boon to gardeners?

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My Backyard Habitat is published monthly in cooperation with The Newtown Bee by Protect Our Pollinators. For more information or to reach out, visit propollinators.org.