What is the most effective way to remove landscaping paper
The previous owners of my home put down landscaping paper. A lot of it. They poked little holes for individual flowers to grow through, and just dumped mulch over the rest. It probably looked nice for a year or two, but a decade + later, it's just hindering plant growth and keeping natural decomposition from adding nutrients to the soil. It no longer does anything for weed prevention. I despise the stuff.
I've snipped at it with gardening shears and yanked it up where I can, but there are still yards and yards of paper all around the perimeter of my house. Is there a trick to getting rid of it? The layer of half-rotted mulch and weed roots on top of the paper makes it very heavy.
Answers ( 1 )
You likely are not going to appreciate my answer, but I'm going to tell you "Hire someone else to do it".
I know- it feels wrong to pay someone else to do what you can do- lazy, privileged- wrong. But, knowing your limitations is also a thing- and a good thing when it comes to literally busting your butt- or, okay, back, knees and shoulders.
You would have to remove all that disgusting old bark which is at least somewhat treated so it does not quickly decompose- but it never looks nice after the first season. That alone is hours of hard physical labor, raking, shoveling, carting it off, dumping, doing it again and again and again.
Then all that landscape covering paper/platic stuff- pasted to the underlying dirt in some places, and ripped into small bits in others- hands and knees work. A few hours of it.
Then new soil- or rubber bits- or gravel- but if you do not block weed-seeds from getting to that soil under whatever "decorative" covering, it'll just turn into a weed yard again, so you have to lay that same paper or plastic new.
Then, finally, any plantings. Finally- the fun part. And you are ready for a hospital bed and heavy duty pain killers.
Nope. I recommend hopping onto your local area Facebook page and asking for recommendations for someone who can help you with your landscaping. You'll get lots of names; and from there, all you have to do is winnow it all down. You will want someone reasonable who is not going to sell you an irrigation system you do not need for a golf course lawn you do not want. You want someone who is reliable- ask for references. You want someone who is willing to do the work now- or at least very soon.
Interview a few names, call references, and make your choice, then dicker and deal. And then, get the work done. Pay by the day- end of each day, pay- and do not pay the balance until it is all done. Help if you want, offer drinks and shade, and thank your lucky stars you aren't trying to do it all yourself.
You have no idea how much that kind of work hurts.