Newspaper in the garden ... will this work?

[JMediger]

Hello All,
This is the second year for our garden. Last year, we tilled up an 11 x 20 foot section in the backyard. We spent two good weekends picking grass clumps out - fun. This year, there is about a 1/3 of the grass trying to make a comeback. We are adding about 6 inches of compost to the entire site, then will till (roto-till) it several times to get it mixed.

Here's my idea ... If I lay a layer of newspaper over the site now (to kill the grass), add the compost and then till in about 1 1/2 weeks (the ground is too wet now to support the tractor or even a push tiller for that matter), will the newspaper be soft enough to break apart by that point? Will I just have chunks of paper? Ideas?

Thank you in advance!

 

[Katie H]

The newspaper idea should work. Whether or not it degrades or not, it won't hurt being in your soil. I routinely use several layers of newspaper as mulch against weeds in my garden. Works well and "disappears" naturally.

 

[JMediger]

Thank you Katie ... I guess if I do have clumps, I can just pick them out or bury them.

 

[Katie H]

Don't worry about picking them out. They'll disintegrate after watering and rain. Newspaper has a nice way of "going away" when subjected to the elements, especially water.

 

[DaveSoMD]

It should be fine. My grandmother puts layers of newspaper on her garden between the plants and then puts grass clippings on top of that. it helps hold moisture and amends the soil. She has been doing this for as long as I can remember and has great results every year.

 

[Constance]

I would spray the area with Round-up if I were you. It's a systemic insecticide that kills the plant without poisoning the soil. It takes about 10 days to work, but then whatever you've sprayed is dead all the way down to the roots.

 

[Katie H]

It should be fine. My grandmother puts layers of newspaper on her garden between the plants and then puts grass clippings on top of that. it helps hold moisture and amends the soil. She has been doing this for as long as I can remember and has great results every year.

You're right, Dave. Newspapers are just another mulch component.

 

[DaveSoMD]

Katie,

Yeah I add them shreaded as the brown part of my compost every week.

 

[Maverick2272]

I would spray the area with Round-up if I were you. It's a systemic insecticide that kills the plant without poisoning the soil. It takes about 10 days to work, but then whatever you've sprayed is dead all the way down to the roots.

Close. Slight modification on the instructions from years of personal use and observation:
First of all, if you have any plants there that you want to keep, you must remove them first or very carefully cover. Also, if you spray you have to wait at least two weeks before turning the soil and planting, or you will harm the new plants. 10 days is just cutting it two close.
Personally, I would avoid the chemicals and go with the newspaper, it is very effective and the preferred method DW uses for her garden clients. In this case she would lay down the newspapers, cover with the compost, and then plant directly thru it. Won't harm the plant at all, adds to the compost and betters the soil, and no chemicals to run off into the ground water.

 

[mcnerd]

Worms love newspaper. I also put all my shredder paper into the compost or around the plants. Decomposes quickly. They hate the sunday paper though. Too much shiny stuff that gives them heartburn.

 

[suziquzie]

I start my seeds in little pots made with strips of newspaper... I have a little wooden forming tool deal that does it. I posted a pic of it on one of these gardening threads....
It's really nice to just put the whole thing in the ground instead of worrying about getting it out of the plastic thing in 1 piece. Plus it's good for the soil and less trash.

 

[Maverick2272]

I start my seeds in little pots made with strips of newspaper... I have a little wooden forming tool deal that does it. I posted a pic of it on one of these gardening threads....
It's really nice to just put the whole thing in the ground instead of worrying about getting it out of the plastic thing in 1 piece. Plus it's good for the soil and less trash.

Great idea! But avoid the Sunday section as all those ads just might turn em into mail ordering worms! Or the comics may just keep em laughing too much to do their work in the ground!

 

[Leolady]

It should be fine. My grandmother puts layers of newspaper on her garden between the plants and then puts grass clippings on top of that. it helps hold moisture and amends the soil. She has been doing this for as long as I can remember and has great results every year.

That's what I always used to do!

I added lots of leaves and grass clippings.

 

[tropical cooker]

The Potmaker....

Lehman's - Products for Simple, Self-sufficient Living

 

[buckytom]

I would spray the area with Round-up if I were you. It's a systemic insecticide that kills the plant without poisoning the soil. It takes about 10 days to work, but then whatever you've sprayed is dead all the way down to the roots.

that all depends on how much you use, and how close you are to a water source.

round up is deadly to frogs, turtles, and snakes and other aquatic and semi-aquatic creatures. it's not so good for humans to breathe, either.

it will kill the plants though.

since this is going to be a garden, i'd avoid chemicals also, as mav stated. newspapers used to be bad for a garden years ago, because of the chemicals used in the printing, but now they're all supposed to be bio-degradeable inks and paper, so it's a good way to go.

also, if you are going to be eating things from this garden, don't mulch with grass clippings from a lawn that's been treated with either an herbicide or pesticide within the last 3 months.

 

[JMediger]

...also, if you are going to be eating things from this garden, don't mulch with grass clippings from a lawn that's been treated with either an herbicide or pesticide within the last 3 months.

This is what concerns me about using compost from the city pile - not sure what people have used on their lawns before being added to the general pile. We are trying hard to not use any chemicals for weed killing or our lawn. It's been harder than I thought!

 

[Bigjim68]

You have smart worms. The Sunday paper gives me heartburn also. Never thought of putting my shredded paper in the compost pile. Will the office waste disintegrate in a compost pile?

 

[mcnerd]

If you are talking the usual office paper, yes. I've been putting my shredded paper around the plants and in the compost pile for years. It disappears quickly. Just no plastics or other foreign stuff.

 

[Maverick2272]

The paper is not the problem unless it is the laminated add and Sunday paper stuff. That can sometimes be not so good. It is the inks you have to watch, as BT said make sure they are bio-degradable. If you are using stuff from the office, just check the packaging it came in. Most if not all used today is supposed to be bio-degradable.

 

[Barbara L]

I have always said that one of my goals is to learn something new every day. Mission accomplished for today! I would have never thought about using newspaper in this way.

Barbara