We are predicted to have another year with hardly any rainfall, so I’m not planning to plant a garden this year. What I’m wondering is, what do I do with the soil to keep the garden from turning back into lawn during this year off. (Covering the soil with clear plastic probably isn’t an option for me because of the cost.). Does anyone have any experience with this sort of thing?
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Wait, what’s this about not planting a garden?
The Adventures of Bitey Dog 
Do you have cardboard and any of these items: compost, grass clippings, chopped leaves, whole leaves, or other organic materials?
You can get free cardboard from the grocery store. Just ask when the best day is to get cardboard boxes. It will be the day they are restocking the store. You can ask them to save some boxes for you upfront.
Cut the cardboard to fit your garden soil. Cover the cardboard with the organic matter you have. This will allow the cardboard and organic matter to decompose and make the soil better.
You can also build a compost pile on your cardboard covering
If you don’t have anything to cover the cardboard with, put something heavy on it to prevent it from blowing away. You can have several layers of cardboard covering your garden area.
If you want to try to grow tomatoes or pumpkins, with a lot less water, you can plant your seeds or seedlings in in the garden. Water well, then cover the ground around the seeds or seedlings with cardboard. Make sure the cardboard extends at least two feet out from the seeds/seedlings. Cover the cardboard with leaves, grass clippings, compost, wood chips, straw, hay, etc about 2 inches deep. You can use extend the cardboard if you have the organic matter to cover it. This is enough to keep the water from evaporating very fast. If you do need to water, do it in the evening by the stem. There is another trick you can use if you don’t have access to organic matter. Instead of organic matter, cover the cardboard with dirt from a different part of the garden. Water the dirt well and cover it with another layer of cardboard. Put something to hold the cardboard down.
All this said, it might still be too dry for you to try and grow anything.
I hope these ideas help.
Awesome! Thank you so much for the help! (How early can you do all of this? Even though it’s early, the weeds are already starting to take over.)
Right away!
Great! I’ll start this week. 😊
👍🙂
A BOX OF BLACK BIN BAGS DONT WORK OUT TOO MUCH E LITTLE OF THE EARTH ON THE EDGES AND MIDDLE SHOULD KEEP THEM DOWN OR ANYTHING SUCH AS MILK CONTAINERS FILLED WITH WATER FOR WEIGHT
HUGSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
I think I might mix and match cardboard and black bags. Each area of the garden will get different treatment, then I can see which did best. (I wonder if the bags will discourage mice?)
Mice seem to enjoy everything!
Maybe they’ll enjoy the “Victory” surprise I have planned for them.
😆
maybe you should concentrate on growing dirt
😂. If I could grow dirt, I think Geordie would come back from heaven just to eat it!
You got some good advice and help! 🙂
One year, years ago, we had a patch we didn’t plant anything in and all of a sudden sunflowers started growing. We guess the kind planters were birds or the wind. 🙂
(((HUGS))) and Happy Easter!!! 🩷💜💛💚
You’re lucky to have such a seed-planting volunteer army! 😆
( I’m still planning on planting a few sunflowers and marigolds for my bees. 🐝)
Hope you have a lovely Easter too! (If you can, eat a piece of candy for Murphy and me. 🍫)
We don’t have much experience with vegetable gardening but Mike has mentioned building on for cucumbers and tomatoes! I think in Florida, we are expecting an interesting hurricane season.
I’ve heard that you all have been having a drought. I hope the storms bring much-needed moisture without too much destruction. You all should have good, fresh salads this year if everything grows well!
Well, we are supposed to get rain this week. We shall see!
And the rain arrived, last night!!
Yay!! 🌧️ 🌧️ 🌧️
Hope you get enough to wake up all the plants! 😊
Yup – I think Julia nailed it with the cardboard advice. But I don’t much trust the weather forecasters either so maybe give the garden a try on a modest basis?
I was going to plant tomatoes and peppers for my mom. (Murphy would be so disappointed if he didn’t have squishy tomatoes to eat in the fall. 😊)
What will you plant for Reiko? Some container cucumbers might entertain her. (Pets and cucumbers are hilarious to watch.)
Nox loved green beans and would eat them if she could reach them. That’s what comes from letting a pup see where treats come from. 😀
I tried green beans – frozen, cooked and canned – out on Miss Reiko but she was ho-hum about them. First dog I knew that rejected green beans. Max was a fiend for frozen peas and green beans.
Miss Reiko has strange taste. Does she like carrots? Nox loved carrots. (I was happy to hear Miss Reiko tried 🥓 and discovered how wonderful it is! 😁)
Maybe Reiko likes wasabi?
🤣
Green beans…that was Toby! 😂. I needed the fence around the garden to keep the puppies out as much as the critters! 😂
Last summer I took down my cages and put flowers (annuals) in the elevated beds where I used to grow my Asian veggies and tomatoes. So I now have bushy lavender, geranium, African daisy, and a whole bunch more flowers. Looks lovely but not tasty. Still, I’m not used to not having some veggies so maybe I’ll plant one container tomato just for fun. I don’t know if Reiko likes tomatoes – she’s not much into vegetables or fruit.
Maybe sun-warmed, still-on- the vine tomatoes will smell irresistible to her. 😊
Here ya go from a blog buddy, re: predictions of weather, a poem. https://robinbenjamin4.wordpress.com/2026/04/06/not-predicted/#like-7521
I love the idea! We’ll see if the “surprise” or the Almanac is right this year. 😊