Where can I buy cardboard & wood chippings cheaply?

[john10001]

Update on my allotment: I borrowed a lawnmower to cut the grass on my allotment. There was a lot of it. I have added it to the wooden compost area to make compost. I have never made compost before so I have just watched videos on YouTube on how to do it.

I haven't done any gardening for a very long time as I have lived in a flat now for about ten years.

Anyway, after cutting all the grass, there is still a lot of it and I've just decided that I want to get rid of it and also prevent any weeds from coming up. I've seen another allotment with wood chippings and they don't seem to have a problem with weed and grass whereas on an allotment with stones as pathways they do have weeds and grass popping up.

Do you know where I can buy cardboard and wood chippings cheaply?

I am going to put it down everywhere and add wood chippings. I think this is the best method to get rid of the grass and weeds.

Anything I want to plant in the meantime I can cut a hole and plant it through the wood chipping and cardboard and put chippings back on top.

I am going to keep the paths between my different soil beds as wood chippings.

So if anyone knows where I can get cardboard and wood chippings cheaply I appreciate any tips.

It has been very difficult to do much with social distancing in place. You can still go to allotments but the trouble is buying plants and getting the things you need to work on the allotment is very difficult.

Buying online from gardening sites a lot of things are out of stock or the websites only accept so many orders a day. The plants that are available that I want are the ones that are in big pots and not saplings so cost a fortune to ship.

Then you have the pressures of the allotment people thinking you are not working on it and saying they may give it to someone else. It is not through lack of wanting to but it is just not possible at the moment to do very much. You'd think they would understand more at the moment.

I look forward to restrictions being eased and things getting back to normal for everyone.

[sg31]

Interesting, I've not come across using cardboard in that way. I have used wood chippings in the past.

One problem with both is they break down quite rapidly, wood chippings will need topping up quite regularly. I think wood chippings might also make the soil more acid so you might need to compensate by adding lime.

As far as getting hold of the stuff, I'd have a word with the person who aleady uses them. He must have a local supply. Most other suppliers are either very expensive or cheapish but require you to collect them. As they are usually in those big builders bulk bags that might be difficult unless you have access to a van.

You should be able to get used cardboard boxes quite easily once things return to normal. A lot of shops and factories have to pay to get rid of them so they might be keen on letting you have a much as you want. You would have to collect but that's not really a problem if you have a car. Have a word at your recycling centre, they might be happy for you to help yourself for the price of a 'drink'. ( if you aren't familiar with the term it's a small monetary reward).

As far as wood chippings are concerned a tree surgeon I used was desperate for me to take chippings from him for free, he was happy to deliver them free of charge. He had people all round the area he supplied. From his point of view he got rid of them for free and if he had local drop of points it saved time and fuel if he didn't have to drive back to his yard when he had a van full.

As with a lot of these things asking around can provide results. I've always found the landlord of my local is well connected and if you ask him he can he can find someone who can help.

I hope that helps.

[bungeejumper]

Have to admit that, although I'd heard of cardboard as a short-term weed suppressant many years ago, I'd never really considered it as a medium-term strategy. But it does seem as though many experienced gardeners rate it as a technique, so I've learned something.

But buying it, with proper money? Considering how much of the stuff we push into our recycling bins every fortnight, that would seem like an unnecessary expense. Amazon is swamping the world with the damned stuff!

Were we not in the grip of a pandemic, I'd just put a notice up by my garden gate, inviting contributions. But since we are, I'd have thought that any greengrocer or any off-licence ought to be able to fix you up with a vanfull, free, gratis and for nothing.

BJ

[SteMiS]

Do you know where I can buy cardboard and wood chippings cheaply?

Where I have an allotment they have an agreement with a local tree surgeon who deposits his chippings in a pile at the main gate. He gets a free tip and allotment holders get a free supply of wood chippings for paths and soil conditioner. Maybe you should suggest to your allotment committee that they do the same?

As to cardboard I'd try a local shop. They'd be glad for someone to take away their waste for nothing...