Large quantities of shredded paper in the fall garden

[stylemichelle21]

Personally I don't like using wood chips anymore, because I've found that it is troublsome to dig into when planting plants, so now I've opt to exclusively use leaves, since I'm always planting stuff. To me wood chips are only good around areas that just sit there, but I'm always planting something...

I agree as well. Wood chips have been a pain to me if in a spot that gets constant traffic.

[Runningtrails]

I am glad to hear the paper doesn't use up the nitrogen in the soil. I use a lot of it! The little shredded paper is better because it doens't blow around as much as the big stuff. The paper makes a soft solid mulch after a few rains. I thinks it the cellulose as it breaks down that sort of glues it together. This makes it especially hard for weeds to grow through it but still lets the water in and once wet, stays in place.

I like it as a mulch, just wish it were brown instead of so white.

[Tilde]

I like it as a mulch, just with it were brown instead of so white.

Pour a few pots of cold coffee on it.

[john gault]

I actually throw away a lot of paper waste into my kitchen-scraps bucket that's used for composting.

[Runningtrails]

We save most newspapers and household paper, mail etc for the kindling box and use it to start fires in the winter. Tissues and some papertowels get burned too, some go into the compost.

[dustyrivergardens]

You got a great mix going its going to be a very nice garden spot for you. I think you got it just right mixing the compost in and all the other goodies it should make for a very good textured soil nice and loose. The only other thing I would suggest is rock dust and a lot of it...

[Runningtrails]

I like the coffee idea! I can get coffee grounds from Starbucks, but just a bag full at a time. Thankfully, I have lots of my own I could save out of the compost bucket just to top the paper mulch. Great idea! I might start a separate coffee grounds bucket just for that...

[Bloody Boots]

In addition to Starbucks check your local gas station. They brew almost as much coffee as Starbucks. I drop off a 5 gallon bucket weekly at the station where I fill up the Carafe! % gallons a week of grounds and the staff like not having to lug that heavy trash bag around!



And after awhile, they started giving me the old fruit as well, couple of pounds of old apples, banana, and leftover fruit salad a week are a nice addition to the pile!