53: Sheet Mulch Your Way to a Caretaker-Proof Garden

Send us a text

In this episode of School Gardens with Ease, Leila shares real stories from Toronto schools where well-meaning but misinformed caretakers accidentally damaged school gardens—from mowing over fruit trees to refusing to maintain grass paths. These challenges are more common than you might think in school gardening—and there’s an easy solution.

Sheet mulching.
This simple Permaculture technique not only keeps grass out of garden paths and beds, but it also reduces maintenance, prevents damage, requires no permanent structures (read: no school board approvals!), and turns a common conflict into a collaborative, student-led learning experience.

Leila walks you through how to sheet mulch with your students using just cardboard, water, and wood mulch—while explaining why this method is the perfect way to keep your garden thriving and your caretaker happy (or at least neutral 😉).

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Why some caretakers resist maintaining garden-adjacent areas
• How school policies and union rules complicate garden maintenance
• Common ways gardens get accidentally damaged—and how to stop it
• What sheet mulching is and why it’s ideal for schools
• Step-by-step: How to sheet mulch paths and beds with your students
• How sheet mulch supports low-maintenance, high-impact school gardening

https://www.kidsgrowingcity.ca/Gardening-for-Elementary-Teachers