I had heard about using cardboard to stop weeds years ago but never tried it. When I finally decided to clean up the base of my Japanese Olive tree in my front yard, I figured this was the time to find out if it actually worked — without buying expensive weed barriers or spraying chemicals anywhere near my tree.
Here is exactly what I did, step by step, with photos from my own yard.
Visit The Marketplace or grab your Free Garden Starter Kit
The Problem
The base of my Japanese Olive tree was a mess. Bare dirt, sparse mulch, and weeds that kept coming back no matter what I did. Pulling them by hand was a temporary fix at best, not to mention back breaking. Yes, like many of you, I am up there in years. Look closely at the Photos and you can see the black spray paint line making the perfect circle before I started digging and clearing.
Clearing It Down to Bare Soil
First I cleared everything out down to bare dirt so the cardboard would lay flat. Because the existing circle was pretty lopsided, I tied a string around the tree about 40 inches out. On the other end of the string I attached a can of spray paint. I just walked around the tree with the spray paint and made a perfectly round circle. Works every time.
Laying the Cardboard and Soaking It
I laid flattened cardboard boxes around the base, overlapping the edges so weeds had nowhere to sneak through. Then I soaked it thoroughly with the hose. The cardboard needs to be wet to stay in place and start breaking down into the soil.
One tip — once the cardboard dries it may curl up at different spots. No worries, just re-wet it and it will go back flat. While it is wet is the perfect time to put down your mulch.
If you plan to add plants or flower pots like I did, lay them down on the wet cardboard, level them to your liking, then add mulch around the pots. The mulch acts as an anchor and keeps them steady in heavy rain or wind.
And here is my little secret — those plants you see in the photos? They are fake. No maintenance whatsoever, but they look as real as the real ones. Just between you and me.
Adding the Mulch and Plants
Since you already know my secret, here is how I did the pots. I bought flower pots and plants at Hobby Lobby at 40 to 50 percent off. Then I picked up a few cheap bags of dirt from Home Depot. I placed each fake plant into a pot and filled it with dirt to the top — that is it, nothing more, nothing hard.
Once all six pots were completed I placed them evenly around the tree using a clock as my guide — at the 12, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 positions. It gives you perfect spacing every time and really looks great.
Once the cardboard was soaked and the pots were in position, I watered the cardboard one more time, then added the mulch around the pots to lock everything in place.
Two Weeks Later
It has been about two weeks and the weeds have not come back. The tree looks completely transformed. My neighborhood gardener stopped by and gave me a compliment — which for a guy who just used cardboard from the recycling bin felt pretty good.
Not everyone has a recycling bin full of boxes, but getting cardboard is easier than you think. Your local grocery store always has boxes they are happy to give away. Delivery boxes from Amazon or any online order work perfectly. Or simply head to your local Home Depot or Lowe’s and pick up a few boxes ready to cut up. There is no shortage of free or cheap cardboard if you know where to look.
What It Cost
- Clay flower pots, 6 — $24.00
- Fake plants, 6 — $60.00
- Black mulch, 4 bags — $10.00
- Cardboard — free
- Total — under $100.00
Not a bad deal for a project that completely transformed the front of the house.
You can also find helpful gardening tools and resources in our Marketplace.
Final Thought
If you have been fighting weeds around a tree and do not want to use chemicals or spend money on plastic weed barriers, try this first. It works. And if you are not telling anyone about the fake plants — neither am I. 🌿
For more practical outdoor and garden projects visit Your Outdoor Home and Garden
© 2026 Your Outdoor Home and Garden. All rights reserved.
