Garden weeds will stop growing with 1 item - no pulling or spraying needed

Weeds are rampant in the summer, thriving in the warm weather and rain which create perfect conditions for their growth and seed germination. The usual suspects like dandelions, daisies, bindweed, and ground elder stand out with their distinctive leaves and flowers, making them impossible to overlook.

For those shunning chemical weed killers, household items such as white vinegar, baking soda, salt, and boiling water are often recommended. Although, they don't tackle the tougher aspects of weeding like pulling and spraying.

A gardening guru has revealed a hands-off tactic against weeds called "sheet mulching."

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This method, long favoured by professional landscapers, is now being hailed as a "revelation" for the everyday gardener keen on keeping their beds and borders pristine.

Elizabeth Florio from Garden & Gun magazine shared: "It turns out the cardboard that passes through... households in abundance is a low-fuss, good-for-the-soil, sustainable-many-times-over weed barrier", reports the Express.

The technique involves simply placing a flat piece of cardboard over weed clusters and covering it with garden mulch.

The gardening expert claims this method effectively "smothers the undergrowth" while also adding carbon to the soil.

It's an attractive alternative for gardeners who prefer a no-dig method for dealing with unwanted plants, and it's a strategy that many have already adopted with success.

A gardening expert has taken to the Charles Dowding forum to hail cardboard as an "amazing" weed control hack, perfect for keeping those pesky garden invaders at bay.

The forum user shared their success, saying: "Under hedges I put cardboard with wood chip on top, nothing through at all."

Delving deeper into their weeding wisdom, the enthusiast explained: "We also had a weed-ridden border which I put cardboard first, then planted heather into holes cut in it, then put peat compost all over as mulch and it is doing well, heather alive and had to pull about two weeds in two months."

According to the Charles Dowding community, you can say goodbye to back-breaking weeding by simply smothering those unwanted plants with cardboard.

Many forum members recommend snipping the weeds down rather than yanking them out, before letting the cardboard work its magic.

When choosing the right type of cardboard for your garden, keep it simple and sustainable with plain brown cardboard.

It's best to avoid sheets covered in ink or glossy finishes, and especially those with plastic or wax contaminants. Taped-up remnants are a no-go – hence why pizza boxes often come out tops.

For Elizabeth and other savvy gardeners, doubling up on flattened cardboard is the secret to serious weed suppression. A good dousing with water helps the material stick to the soil and stay in position, adding another layer of defence against uninvited green guests.

If you're planning to add new plants atop the cardboard layer, you'll require a layer of compost and planting soil. Simply spread your mulch - whether it's wood chips, pine straw, or other organic materials - directly onto the cardboard.