No dig basics

[DigbyTheDigger]

I'm making a new garden, and the whole area has been turned over by a digger to create new levels. Is this likely to unleash a whole load of weeds that were dormant? I've been reading about no-dig and I'm wondering whether the few inches of new topsoil that will be going onto the beds will do the same job as a few inches of compost/mulch. Or do I need cardboard?

I don't have any reason to think I have really tough weeds, before the digger came the most tenacious thing was Zantedeschia aethiopica. I'm not using membrane under the gravel path, should I do cardboard there?

Personally I have used cardboard and it's really helped keep the weeds down. I just covered the ground with cardboard, wet it with the hosepipe then put a thick layer of bark on top. It means any weeds that may pop up are only in the top layer and really easy to get out. Although to be honest I also used that method as my soil is extremely heavy clay so the hope is that as the cardboard and bark rots down it improves my soil and I can keep topping it up every couple of years.

It's also easier to plant into my beds as I can just make a hole in the cardboard and plant into that.

Just seen your reply, @ThreeRingCircus , thanks for that. I wouldn't be putting bark on top (it gets blown about too much where I am) but presumably it would work as well under top soil/compost/manure?

I find any newly turned over bare soil quickly becomes weedy because any seeds on the soils that have been lying dormant germinate once exposed to light. I would always mulch with something whether it's rotted manure, leaf mould or composted bark. (Or if it's veg beds, straw works.) I would also not put gravel down on bare soil - the mud will work its way up into the gravel before long. Much better to put a layer of crushed hardcore or type 1, compact it down with a whacker plate and then lay the shingle. It will last much longer and be nicer (firmer) to walk on.

So we should lay the cardboard then top soil then mulch?

Should have said, the area under the paths has been compacted and mixed with gravel type stuff, the only bit we’re not doing is membrane.

I would definitely put cardboard down on the beds, then compost/topsoil on top.

I mulch my beds twice a year, (now and autumn) so that helps keep weeds down too, although you will inevitably get some.