I was just reading (& answering) a similar question. Does that help?

Buy an oscillating hoe... makes short work of weeds from a standing position. It's a u-shaped blade that scuffles back and forth, cutting weeds off down at the roots. Great tool and great post-baby exercise.

Thanks Purpleinopp & Susanzone5, that does help! Question though, doing the lasagna.. If I use cardboard and whatever OM I can come up with, and then the finely shredded wood chips (can that be bought?).. Will I be able to plant next spring?? I find it hard to imagine all of that would decompose so quickly. If so, would I add soil on top before planting? And before laying down the cardboard or papers, I'd want to cut it all down as much as I can?
And I do believe I will be investing in one of those hoes, I didn't know such a thing existed! Oh, one last question - when would u start the lasagna layers? ASAP? Was gonna let my sad tomato plants go to see if I could get any goodies from them but if it'd be better to bit the bullet now to make things best for next year, I will. And!, haha.. Sorry, one more question - what kind of ON can I buy at a store? I don't have much I can use around here, other then grass clippings and I'd worry there'd be seeds or grass would sprout from the clippings :-\

Glad to try to help! I start at least 1 new bed somewhere every year.

"If I use cardboard and whatever OM I can come up with, and then the finely shredded wood chips (can that be bought?)."

Yes, finely shredded mulch that isn't painted a designer color (takes longer to decompose, and you probably don't want to 'eat' decomposed paint or dyes) shouldn't be hard to find.

"Will I be able to plant next spring??"

Yes, I always do. A layer of something moist and green directly on top of the cardboard (like grass from mower bag, small yard trimmings, produce scraps from kitchen) will give the green/brown (the paper/cardboard) balance needed for speedier decomposition. Put under the mulch, you'll never know it's there, should be 'dirt' by spring, at least in appearance and texture, but you'll know it's compost/humus. Put tons of leaves on top when you get them in the fall.

I>"I find it hard to imagine all of that would decompose so quickly. If so, would I add soil on top before planting?"

This depends on the weather, climate, and mix of stuff you put there, but a reasonable expectation.

"And before laying down the cardboard or papers, I'd want to cut it all down as much as I can?"

Yes, this will help the smothering stuff be best able to contour to the soil surface, blocking the air and light and space needed for stuff to grow under there.

"Oh, one last question - when would u start the lasagna layers? ASAP? " I would, but it's up to you. The longer it has, the more decomposition possible.

"Was gonna let my sad tomato plants go to see if I could get any goodies from them..."

If you think you can work around them, they shouldn't mind, probably like it. Maybe pull stuff around the base, then smother nearby, filling in those holes later when the toms are finished? Up to you, but likely do-able.

"What kind of OM can I buy at a store? "

Mulch and compost, but if you start looking around you'll probably find stuff. As long as you mow before you see seeds on the grass, there will be few seeds in the grass, which won't be able to grow through all of the stuff on top anyway. As you stir things up planting and harvesting, some seeds may end up on the surface and sprout, but once you gain control, it's easy to pull unwanted sprouts when you see them. I've never caused an infestation of unwanted grass doing this.

After you've gotten started, you can add kitchen scraps as you get them. Dig a little hole (but not deep enough to pierce the cardboard until next spring) for them, cover back up. Nobody but you will know you're "sheet composting." The more stuff like that you can add (greens as opposed to browns like the cardboard and mulch,) the quicker it will all decompose. Green + brown = fast compost. Green alone or brown alone = very slow decomposition, less desirable end-product.

I usually proofread, but it's lunch time, hope...

Take a look at all the chemicals used in the paper/cardboard manufacturing process and you won't want to use it on your food garden. There must be around 50 chemicals. Just an FYI.

I'd pull the weeds by hand around your tomatoes and use the hoe on the rest of the garden. Stay organic.

Congrats on the baby!

Stop obsessing about the "weeds" and begin doing what you can in small steps to accomplish what you want. "Weeds" are an ever present problem for most any gardener, even those that spray poisons on their gardens.
People that do not know will tell you that paper 9including cardboard) is fraught with nasty "chemicals" because they do not know how paper is actually made or that the pulp that becomes the paper is washed and these nasty "chemicals" are removed because they would interfere with the adhesives that hold the paper together.
As you can lay down some newspaper or cardboard (either is good) and cover that with some material, preferably vegetative, that can hold the paper in place and kind of hide the ugly stuff. That could be expensive wood chips or almost for free grass clippings. The paper will deprive the plants you call "weeds" of the sunlight they need to grow so they will die and it will help maintain moisture in the soil the plants you want to grow need to grow and it will aid in keeping the soil temperature lower so the plants you want are not stressed and that mulch can help add needed organic matter to your soil.

Kimmsr, you of all people, talking always about the natural environment, are wrong about paper. Check out this website of chemicals. No way they are "washed out." Even the binders and glues have to remain or the paper wouldn't hold up.

People use all kinds of garbage in their garden in the name of recycling, but it's not always healthy to eat. See for yourself....

Here is a link that might be useful: chemicals used in making paper/cardboard

Susan, your link does not identify its source and is therefore suspect. I spent 39 years working in the paper manufacturing industry and while many of the chemicals listed are used during various stages of processing some pulp few will be in the finished product, the paper. Newsprint is mostly made of ground pulp, a material that is not bleached and has not been exposed to any of those chemicals listed.