Newspaper mulch question

**Patrina_Pepperina** · October 16, 2007

Does anyone know whether shredded newspaper is a good mulch? Does it mat down too much and act as a water barrier? I haven't googled yet, but thought someone might know offhand.... my son asked me, and I have been wondering too.

PP

Zana · October 16, 2007

I've used both shredded and layers of sheets. Both worked fine and were porous. I'm about to do some large areas and have now accumulated two 6' high stacks of newspapers to accomplish this. I'll let you know how it goes.....but first I have to see the chiropractor and RMT now that Oktoberfest is over. Every joint in my body feels like it aches about now....sighhh....so taking on the garden beds will be put off until next week.

cosmicgardener · October 16, 2007

I use a thick layer for weed suppressing with a mulch ( bark) on top - this is only in my flower garden though, I've never used it in the veggie garden, but do add it shredded to my compost. Don;t know if this is of any help. Because it's absorbent it actually seems to help retain water in the flower beds.

Cosmic

louise · October 17, 2007

I have used newspaper, and it works very well. We put down 4-6 layers of newspaper down around all our sweet peppers last year, around 140 peppers plants. Then covered it with compost about 1/2-1 inch deep and watered in well, and kept moist with a timer. We did not put the newpaper or compost around the 60 hot pepper plants. We had virtually NO WEEDS where we put the newspaper and compost. We fought with weeds the whole season around the hot peppers. The newspaper will deterioate, and can be just rotatilled in for the next crop. It takes alot of paper, compost and alot of hard work, but it is worth it and I will do it again.

**tomatoaddict** · October 18, 2007

sounds like I had better start saving now for next spring

amideutch · October 18, 2007

PP, heres a link if you havn't already seen it. Ami
http://www.tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=5309

Zana · October 18, 2007

Already ahead of you on that TA...but the stacks are getting to the point of tipsy-turvy towers....both are over 6 high. And Dad is getting to the point that he wants them outta the house and used or go to the curb. LOL Sheeeeeeeeeesh, wadda ya expect from non-gardeners?

Where I've tried everything to get rid of the rhisome rooted weeds in the front rose bed, I'm going to mulch it with the newspaper over the winter. I'll clear it when it stops raining, mulch, wet it down, and then let the leaves fall on top. In the spring all put new mulch down and hope that clears out the weeds. Its either that, or I rip out the whole bed, cleaning the rose bushes and the perennials and spring bulbs (tulips, etc.) pull up all soil for at least 18" down (I found rhisomes that far down when I "weeded" twice this year). Replace that with new soil, replant and mulch the heck out of it. I'm losing patience with the gosh darnoodley weeds. (Wonder if its going to change my word again?..LOL)

Ruth_10 · November 19, 2007

Shredded paper works well, but you will note that most people (myself included) put something on top of it because it can blow away, especially early on after it is put down.

**Patrina_Pepperina** · November 19, 2007

I recently tried a bit of shredded paper on a potted plant - it blew away overnight and I thought to myself... "I shoulda realized it would, blimey!"

I guess some bark chip over the top would work, hmmmm.

PP

phreddy · January 7, 2008

We don't get a lot of newspaper so I use cardboard, the cheap, flimsey stuff not the posh shiney printed stuff. Overlaps let the water through and it is easier than newspaper. Tried that first but it is too much trouble. By the time we are ready to dig again I expect it to be gone. Wasn't much left when we left mid October. Well worth the effort compared to weeding.

Granny · January 7, 2008

I used a combination of newspaper and cardboard on last year's garden. It worked well for holding in soil moisture but it was a mess trying to keep the stuff held down and I ended up with a lot of bugs of the crawly nature that would not have had a "home" without it. I lost a huge portion of the tomato and zucchini crops to them. This year I'm using black plastic and garden fabric.

matereater · January 7, 2008

Isn't the glue they use to put that stuff together a problem?

bryanccfshr · January 7, 2008

Glue is not a problem at all, If roaches will eat it it's gotta be good.

matereater · January 7, 2008

AHAHAHAHA, good point!!

the999bbq · January 8, 2008

I keep the first batch of mowing/aerating the lawn to keep the first layers of mulch (cardboard, but it can be newspaper too) down. both let water through I guess but I water by the upside down water bottle dug in the ground anyway so that isn't that important to me; my complete mulch setup is more about keeping the soil moist than moisting the soil..

Maybe that was my biggest 'discovery' last year - it is a relatively small investment (material and time-wise) with a very big return (hardly any weeds to pull, they pull more easily, the soil is improved, activity is increased, loosens the soil, keeps it moist,...) so this technique will be in my toolbox for the rest of my gardening life (permaculture is built around it).
Maybe shredded (news)paper can be more managable than just sheets.

I don't really think you could layer it too thick, if you don't depend on water soaking through the layers that is...

I read somewhere that in some greenhouse they wet hay to increase CO2 as plant feeding - wetting the dried grass clippings could have the same nutricious effect...

October 16, 2007	#1
Patrina_Pepperina Cross Hemisphere Dwarf Project™ Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: New South Wales, Australia Posts: 3,094	Newspaper mulch question Does anyone know whether shredded newspaper is a good mulch? Does it mat down too much and act as a water barrier? I haven't googled yet, but thought someone might know offhand.... my son asked me, and I have been wondering too. PP __________________ Truth is colourful, not just black and white. PP: 2005

October 16, 2007	#3
cosmicgardener Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Tasmania, Australia Posts: 407	I use a thick layer for weed suppressing with a mulch ( bark) on top - this is only in my flower garden though, I've never used it in the veggie garden, but do add it shredded to my compost. Don;t know if this is of any help. Because it's absorbent it actually seems to help retain water in the flower beds. Cosmic __________________ http://cosmicgardening.blogspot.com

October 18, 2007	#5
tomatoaddict Moderator Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: zone 5 Posts: 1,459	sounds like I had better start saving now for next spring __________________ Secretseedcartel.com

October 18, 2007	#6
amideutch Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Germany 49°26"N 07°36"E Posts: 5,041	PP, heres a link if you havn't already seen it. Ami http://www.tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=5309 __________________ Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting ‘...Holy Crap .....What a ride!'

November 19, 2007	#8
Ruth_10 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: MO z6a near St. Louis Posts: 1,349	Shredded paper works well, but you will note that most people (myself included) put something on top of it because it can blow away, especially early on after it is put down. __________________ --Ruth Some say the glass half-full. Others say the glass is half-empty. To an engineer, it’s twice as big as it needs to be.

October 16, 2007	#2
Zana Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Southwestern Ontario, Canada Posts: 4,521	I've used both shredded and layers of sheets. Both worked fine and were porous. I'm about to do some large areas and have now accumulated two 6' high stacks of newspapers to accomplish this. I'll let you know how it goes.....but first I have to see the chiropractor and RMT now that Oktoberfest is over. Every joint in my body feels like it aches about now....sighhh....so taking on the garden beds will be put off until next week.

October 17, 2007	#4
louise Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: southern part Posts: 23	I have used newspaper, and it works very well. We put down 4-6 layers of newspaper down around all our sweet peppers last year, around 140 peppers plants. Then covered it with compost about 1/2-1 inch deep and watered in well, and kept moist with a timer. We did not put the newpaper or compost around the 60 hot pepper plants. We had virtually NO WEEDS where we put the newspaper and compost. We fought with weeds the whole season around the hot peppers. The newspaper will deterioate, and can be just rotatilled in for the next crop. It takes alot of paper, compost and alot of hard work, but it is worth it and I will do it again.

January 7, 2008	#10
phreddy Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Bulgaria Posts: 260	We don't get a lot of newspaper so I use cardboard, the cheap, flimsey stuff not the posh shiney printed stuff. Overlaps let the water through and it is easier than newspaper. Tried that first but it is too much trouble. By the time we are ready to dig again I expect it to be gone. Wasn't much left when we left mid October. Well worth the effort compared to weeding.

January 7, 2008	#11
Granny Tomatovillian™ Honoree Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 507	I used a combination of newspaper and cardboard on last year's garden. It worked well for holding in soil moisture but it was a mess trying to keep the stuff held down and I ended up with a lot of bugs of the crawly nature that would not have had a "home" without it. I lost a huge portion of the tomato and zucchini crops to them. This year I'm using black plastic and garden fabric.

January 7, 2008	#12
matereater Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: S.E. Michigan (Livonia) Posts: 1,264	Isn't the glue they use to put that stuff together a problem? __________________ Steve Cleverly disguised as a responsible adult

January 7, 2008	#13
bryanccfshr Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2007 Location: Farmington, Nm Posts: 450	Glue is not a problem at all, If roaches will eat it it's gotta be good. __________________ I moved!

January 7, 2008	#14
matereater Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: S.E. Michigan (Livonia) Posts: 1,264	AHAHAHAHA, good point!! __________________ Steve Cleverly disguised as a responsible adult

January 8, 2008	#15
the999bbq Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2007 Location: Belgium Posts: 191	I keep the first batch of mowing/aerating the lawn to keep the first layers of mulch (cardboard, but it can be newspaper too) down. both let water through I guess but I water by the upside down water bottle dug in the ground anyway so that isn't that important to me; my complete mulch setup is more about keeping the soil moist than moisting the soil.. Maybe that was my biggest 'discovery' last year - it is a relatively small investment (material and time-wise) with a very big return (hardly any weeds to pull, they pull more easily, the soil is improved, activity is increased, loosens the soil, keeps it moist,...) so this technique will be in my toolbox for the rest of my gardening life (permaculture is built around it). Maybe shredded (news)paper can be more managable than just sheets. I don't really think you could layer it too thick, if you don't depend on water soaking through the layers that is... I read somewhere that in some greenhouse they wet hay to increase CO2 as plant feeding - wetting the dried grass clippings could have the same nutricious effect...