USDA Cardboard Trial Boosted Idaho Crop Yields

A 2022 trial in Idaho found that using cardboard as a weed barrier improved garden yields and reduced labor.

Updated on Oct. 14, 2026 in Organic Food

Screen-print poster illustration of layered garden beds with cardboard mulch and vegetable sprouts, illustrating sustainable agricultural research. — A 2022 USDA-funded trial at Sweet Hollow Farm in Idaho demonstrated that using cardboard mulch significantly improves garden yields and reduces labor. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Live Poll

Would you use cardboard to control weeds in your own garden beds?

In 2022, the USDA funded a trial at Sweet Hollow Farm in Idaho to test the efficacy of using cardboard as a weed barrier in gardens. Researchers compared four 30-meter raised beds covered in cardboard and compost against four traditional tilled beds.

Why it matters

The USDA-funded project aimed to find sustainable ways to reduce weed growth in agricultural fields without the need for intensive tilling. This method offers potential benefits for both soil health and farm productivity by minimizing manual labor requirements.

Using cardboard beds reduced average weeding time to 55 minutes compared to two hours for tilled plots. Yields for specific crops rose significantly, with Kabocha squash increasing by 28% and onion varieties by 3% to 97%.

The players

USDA

The United States Department of Agriculture is the federal executive department responsible for developing and executing laws related to farming, forestry, and food.

University of Wyoming

This public research university in Laramie partnered with the USDA to conduct the gardening field trials.

The details

The research team covered garden beds with cardboard and compost to suppress weeds during the growing seasons. This technique resulted in substantially lower weed pressure by the end of the second season compared to standard tilling methods.

The USDA funded the cardboard gardening trial in 2022.
Onion and shallot crops produced higher yields on cardboard in 2023.

Culture Shift

This research follows a broader trend of sustainable agricultural practices that emphasize soil conservation and reduced chemical dependency. It mirrors a shift toward regenerative gardening methods that prioritize organic matter and minimal mechanical soil disturbance.

Home gardeners in Idaho can potentially reduce their weeding time by over an hour per session by adopting this cardboard-based technique. The method also provides a cost-effective way to improve crop yields for common vegetables like squash and onions.

The takeaway

Using cardboard as a foundation for raised beds serves as a practical, low-cost weed management solution for gardeners. Implementing this method can lead to better crop outcomes and a significant decrease in the hours spent on manual maintenance.