Beetroot Leaves - weed-suppressant or for the salad bowl?

[newspud9]

I spend so much time re-weeding parts of the plot where the crops have performed sporadically at best and where large gaps prove fertile ground for weeds especially at this time of year.  The raspberry beds are always time-consuming like this and i wondered if the good-sized leaves from the beetroot (one of the few crops to do well) would be better used as mulch/weed-suppressant than as an exotic component of the Saturday salad.  Anyone else have fail-proof ways of keeping weeding down to a once-a-year activity.

Thanks for all the responses.

[newspud9]

[lottie lou]

Anyone else have fail-proof ways of keeping weeding down to a once-a-year activity.

One one I can think of is concrete your beds and paint them green.

[lottie lou]

Sorry should have read:

Only thing I can think of is concrete your beds and paint them green.

[galina]

Neither - beetroot leaves are a good chard substitute.  They are a close relative to chard.

Weeding only once a year - I wish!  However after the weeds have been cleared, a layer of cardboard followed by a layer of cut grass as a top mulch should help keep weeds down.

[GrannieAnnie]

Weeds would grow up thru beets. They even grow up through our squash. I have a new asparagus bed which has been covered only with sheets of newspaper. We've had sufficient rains to keep it down in place and so far no weeding! We don't have constant winds like some of you over the pond, only if a storm rolls in which keeps the newspaper in place. I've also used cardboard and newspaper in perennial flower beds (when I get around to weeding them, on goes the newspaper.) If it is in a highly visible area pine needles go on top to dress it up. When my back was younger I'd move wheelbarrow loads of mulch. No more!