Newspaper for Raised Beds ?

[AlittleSalt]

I will be building at least five raised beds between October and January. My thought is to fill them with organic materials. I've read that newspaper is printed with a vegetable oil (Soy) based ink because it is cheaper - makes since to me.

So, what do you all think about using newspaper as an ingredient in raised bed garden soil?

[kayrobbins]

I don't use it as an ingredient but when I am building a new raised bed where there is grass, after I cut it back with my string trimmer I put layers of newspaper and then cardboard down. That smothers it out and is so an easy way to deal with it.

[AlittleSalt]

Kay, that's exactly what we will be doing to the bottom of the beds. Right now, Bermuda grass and an even thicker weed is growing there. We will most likely use 2 x 12s to build them.

[BigVanVader]

I used it for the same thing, it works. I dont throw any paper away it all goes into the garden paths or beds.

[dipchip2000]

Use angle iron and screws on the corners. Nails will pull out as wood seasons and tries to twist. I used treated 2X12s and had to go back and put screws on corners. Much easier to do it to begin with.

ron

[Redbaron]

Newspaper used that way is fine. I have been told that the glossy colored magazine type pages shouldn't be used. But I have not been able to confirm this. I was able to confirm that regular newspaper is good to go.

[imp]

Originally Posted by AlittleSalt

I will be building at least five raised beds between October and January. My thought is to fill them with organic materials. I've read that newspaper is printed with a vegetable oil (Soy) based ink because it is cheaper - makes since to me.

So, what do you all think about using newspaper as an ingredient in raised bed garden soil?

Newspapers are printed using soy inks, and they break down nicely n the soil. Don't use the "slick" pages- such as ads that are shiny and ultra smooth feeling, except in your walkways or as a weed barrier along with what ever else you want to use. The slick pages have been processed that makes them much slower to break down.

You can use thick layers at the bottom or tear it up/shredded paper right into the layers- it'll break down and worms love paper and cardboard scraps, as well as coffee grounds.

[rhines81]

You'd have to have tons of paper to fill one average bed (after it has decomposed). It takes up a lot of space initially and then you are probably left with less than a thimble full of matter per page after it decomposes. It takes a while for newspaper to break down completely also, so to use as a filler for soil, I don't know, better to use as a bottom liner.
The colored glossy paper contains heavy metals in the inks, not good. Normal newspaper ink is usually either soy or water based but it can also contain trace amount of toxins (probably not harmful).

[imp]

Originally Posted by rhines81

You'd have to have tons of paper to fill one average bed (after it has decomposed). It takes up a lot of space initially and then you are probably left with less than a thimble full of matter per page after it decomposes. It takes a while for newspaper to break down completely also, so to use as a filler for soil, I don't know, better to use as a bottom liner.
The colored glossy paper contains heavy metals in the inks, not good. Normal newspaper ink is usually either soy or water based but it can also contain trace amount of toxins (probably not harmful).

I work for a newspaper, and all of our inks are soy inks. Don't know about other printed materials.

I did not mean use newspaper exclusively- almost nothing is as good by it's self as a mixture of things will be, especially in a raised bed.

Paper shreds will help with the "fluff" of the soil for a time, and help with the ability to hold water.

Sorry, not seeing where I advocated filling a whole bed with newspaper, can you show me just where I posted that?

[rhines81]

I wasn't responding to your post imp. I was responding to the initial post where he was talking about using the newspaper as an ingredient. It just seemed that it was to be used as a substantial filler which just will not work without mass quantities, and then the soil quality would not be that great. It's good for a bottom liner and as an additive to compost piles, but I just don't see it as a soil mix ingredient.