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Using newspapers, cardboard, and white paper as mulch...

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compost mulch
3K views 12 replies 12 participants last post by  Coldbluesteel 
#1 ·
I invited a family from church over for dinner a few days ago, and when I showed them my garden the wife gave me a pretty good tip.

She told me that for years and years she's always just covered her garden with wet newspapers and then covered that with mulch (grass clippings mostly) and that it made her soil very nice. She said it will also prevent the weeds from growing. I have just been covering my garden with grass clippings (lot of them) but the weeds still get through, even if it's a few inches thick.

I did some googling and found (as I thought) that you could use cardboard too. I guess glossy magazines are ok, too.

What about white paper? I get tons of white paper that I usually put out in the recycle. Would that be ok to use, too? It's printed with toner, so I'm not sure if that would be good for the garden.
 
#2 ·
i use to do lot of mulching with paper... i used mostly carboard, but also white paper, which maybe can be bad if it was bleached with acid, but i have much idea of paper making.... anyways, covering with paper is great, exspecialy if you start your garden from begining, just kill the weeds with hoe a little bit, or cut with lawnmover, than put paper, and dry grass or straw on top. if there is lot of wind you will have to cover it with something, take some branches or anything....also spray with water, it helps it stick together... its best for potato production, you can get more than double yield than usual, if its good soil and enough water. just make small holes in carboard and potato, thats all. goodluck.
 
#5 ·
newspaper base with grass /leaf mulch topping is the best thing going ......

unfortunately I see too many people toss out the mulch at the end of the growing season ........ dig a hole where next years tomatoes will be planted and fill it with the mulch ....... watch the results ..........
 
#7 ·
I've covered around my tomatoes with newspapers this year, and it's been very dry. Last night, I peeled back a piece, and the soil was nice and moist and black, while everything in the paths is dry and cracked. In addition to not having to weed much, it's definitely doing its job holding in moisture. Someone mentioned that they've had slugs living under theirs in wet conditions, but so far, that hasn't been a problem for me since it's been dry. 4-6 layers is best, but even the ones I skimped on or blew off down to just one or two are doing fine as well, but are easier to rip or poke hols into.

Some newspaper printers will sell the end of rolls or even give them away. I may buy some of these to be able to easily roll out the rows.

I haven't used cardboard, but someone told me they tried and and they got kind of slippery and slimy, so I changed my mind about using them for rows.
 
#8 ·
shredded paper works fine as mulch but has a tendency to blow around and make things look messy. water it after you get it put in place to help keep it where you want it. you may want to mix with grass clippings or compost it first... it is a great way to add organic matter to your soil. I have cardboard on a bed i'm preparing for asparagus right now. it does go through a slimy stage but the stage is brief. it will all be broken down quickly and nothing will remain by the end of the season.
 
#9 ·
I have done the newspaper and grass clipping trick for years. sometimes I just use just the grass clippings but unless they are a foot thick you will still get some weeds. Very good for the soil though....much better than mulching with black plastic. Another thing I do is save my panfish carcasses form ice fishing. I freeze them and when I put out my plants I put a frozen fish in the hole first (natual, organic fert.) Just make your holes fairly deep and the animals won't try to dig them up.

Do not think I'd use use the glossy mags though....take them to the recycle box.
 
#10 ·
I laid down cardboard to help keep the soil moist. We had a long dry spell. The only problem is that after I laid it down, it is now raining almost everyday and making the soil almost too wet. I also laid it down for the worms. I have a bin next to my garden that I just throw all my paper and cardboard into. Figured it would just turn to dirt after a while.
 
#11 ·
Thanks for all the feedback guys!

I've only been doing it for a week, but it sure does look like it's making a difference.
Earlier today I filled up a large garbage can (one I don't use for trash) with water and threw a bunch of paper/cardboard in it. Going to let it sit a day or so and get nice and muchy, then put that on the garden.
 
#13 ·
Been doing the newspaper mulch for years. Cardboard and even ceiling tiles. When I put them down I soak it with a hose to soften it up so it conforms to the ground contours better. Every fall I save up the leaves from the yard and use them on top along with grass clippings. Around my cabbage plants I will even top the mulch off with some manure to help feed the plants each time it rains. In the fall I turn the mulch in with my tiller. Most of the paper is gone by then and what remains has "tracks" in it from the worms eating away at it. I was told they like the sizing (starch) in the paper. I wouldn't worry about getting into problems with acid sized paper anymore. Most of the paper industry moved to alkaline sizing years ago due to environmental issues years ago. Also, the paper has a longer lifespan in storeage when it's alkaline.
Stay away from the glossy papers though. "Most" of these are coated with an enamel/latex based coating. FWIW I have over 25 years in the paper industry.
 
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