Weed control is the great quest pursued by all gardeners. Find out how a daily newspaper can help you complete this daunting adventure.
Using newspaper for weed control is an option that is environmentally friendly and economical. With so many people worrying about the state of the environment and the state of their wallet, newspaper weed control is a great way to address both concerns.
Using Newspaper to Control Weeds
· The basic steps required to use newspaper to control weeds are:
· Clear the ground of mulch and weeds.
· Wet the newspaper and place several layers of newspaper on the ground, but do not use the colored ads.
· Wet the newspaper again and cover with wood shavings, pine straw, or another form of mulch.
· Repeat as needed. If you are using this in a garden you would want to repeat each year after planting. If newspaper is being used to control weeds in a flower bed you can wait until the newspaper begins to dissolve, the time this takes will depend greatly on your climate and environment.
Finding Newspaper
· For those with small areas that are in need of weed control this may be as simple as saving the daily newspaper for a week or so. For those with larger areas to cover you may have to be a bit more creative.
· Ask a local store or gas station if you can have the papers from the previous day that weren’t sold.
· Ask your local newspaper office if you could pick up unsold papers directly from them.
· Ask the local recycling agency if it would be possible to recycle the newspapers in your garden.
· Contact local schools or libraries and ask if they would be willing to let you collect their newspapers each week.
· Ask family members or people in your neighborhood if they would save their weekly newspapers and let you collect them on the weekend.
Benefits of Using Newspaper for Weed Control
· The paper will break down naturally in the ground adding nutrients to your soil.
· It is less expensive the commercial rolls of ground cover used for weed control.
· It is less expensive than chemical weed killers.
· It is better for the environment than chemicals used for weed control.
