No till cardboard garden

Question

Have a depressed area in my backyard, 10 foot by 15 foot. Currently is made up of soil, gravel and sand hard pack. Want to put dirt over it, then cardboard over that, then compost and leaves over that. Would that be the best way to prepare that area for planting?

Answer 1

That is a good plan, except for one detail. Cardboard is often used to prevent weeds from growing from underneath. But you probably don’t need it, because it sounds like your depressed area is too compacted for weeds to grow in.
Unless you believe the dirt you’re adding is full of weed seeds, and the compost is not, the cardboard may not be necessary or provide an advantage over just dirt.