well we had thought about going with a weed mat in our vegetable garden this year but I think we've decided against it. I'm too cheap and don't want to spend the money on a weed mat.
we used newspaper last year and had decent results. it probably would have been much better except for two things: I got pregnant and wasn't able to tend to the garden like I should have, and it was also insanely hot last year. way too many 100+ degree days.
soo.... just kind of curious if anyone else has used newspaper and what your thoughts are on it?
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DoubleDogFarm
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southerncomfort
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rainbowgardener
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Fall leaves make good mulch. Being looser and airier, they aren't quite as effective at weed suppression as the newspaper, but it does work if you get a deep enough layer. And I always feel like (unscientifically), they provide a little more nutrients to the soil, when they break down, than the paper does.
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applestar
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Leaves work well as long as you don't get strong winds that blow them away. in fall I put some big branches with lots of twiggy little branches on top.
Newspaper -- or in my case, packing newsprint and kraftpaper -- are great as the base layer on the ground. You can pile additional mulching material on top like pulled weeds, grass clippings, etc. Leaves mixed with grass clippings balance the carbon and nitrogen AND also help somewhat in keeping them from blowing away.
Newspaper -- or in my case, packing newsprint and kraftpaper -- are great as the base layer on the ground. You can pile additional mulching material on top like pulled weeds, grass clippings, etc. Leaves mixed with grass clippings balance the carbon and nitrogen AND also help somewhat in keeping them from blowing away.
that is a great idea! we might try that, thanksmtmickey wrote:I love using newspaper, one trick I have found is I have an old cooler that I fill with water, put a bunch of newspaper in there to soak up the water, then lay it all out...8-10 layers thick (no I don't actually count). Then cover it with straw...has worked great for weed suppression.
over the decades we've had 3/4 to one acre of "lawn" - aka grass clippings.
yes, I know mulching/leaving the clippings on the lawn is a good thing.
no, I'm not a putting green fanatic about the lawn.
but, I've found bagging the clippings and putting down 6-8 inches of fresh clippings in the paths to be an excellent low maintenance weed block. I plant fairly intensively, so my "paths are roughly as foot wide at the outset - bush beans for example will fill in the path to the point it's a pita to make your way through, but I do it anyway.
one does need to exercise care with fresh grass clippings and new seedlings / transplants / sprouts. the initial decay of grass clippings generates a surprising amount of heat and one can "cook" tender seedlings. so I put it down the middle of the path, keeping it 3-4 inches away from anything tender, then eventually push it up closer to the plants.
as summer progresses I just keep spreading the grass clippings around. at the end of the season it gets dug/tilled in.
my garden is large enough it's a stretch to get enough grass clippings.
I have developed a solution: fertilize the grass. grow your own mulch . . . . I fertilize twice a year, spring and fall, with a slow release organic pellet - with a broadcast spreader. the first one / two mowings go in the compost heap as they contain a lot of 'spring weed' seeds.
leaves are indeed another good mulch candidate. our lot backs up to solid old growth timberland, we do have leaves . . . I use the mower to chop them up, then put on the bagging attachment to collect them, then spread over the garden for the winter. this I do primarily because we have a fenced yard, unfenced garden and a (house) dog that just loves mud....
my preferred alternative: put the chopped up leaves in a big honking pile and let them rot for (at least) a year - voile - leaf mold.... works wonders as a pathway mulch and does not blow away as it's already semi-composted.
yes, I know mulching/leaving the clippings on the lawn is a good thing.
no, I'm not a putting green fanatic about the lawn.
but, I've found bagging the clippings and putting down 6-8 inches of fresh clippings in the paths to be an excellent low maintenance weed block. I plant fairly intensively, so my "paths are roughly as foot wide at the outset - bush beans for example will fill in the path to the point it's a pita to make your way through, but I do it anyway.
one does need to exercise care with fresh grass clippings and new seedlings / transplants / sprouts. the initial decay of grass clippings generates a surprising amount of heat and one can "cook" tender seedlings. so I put it down the middle of the path, keeping it 3-4 inches away from anything tender, then eventually push it up closer to the plants.
as summer progresses I just keep spreading the grass clippings around. at the end of the season it gets dug/tilled in.
my garden is large enough it's a stretch to get enough grass clippings.
I have developed a solution: fertilize the grass. grow your own mulch . . . . I fertilize twice a year, spring and fall, with a slow release organic pellet - with a broadcast spreader. the first one / two mowings go in the compost heap as they contain a lot of 'spring weed' seeds.
leaves are indeed another good mulch candidate. our lot backs up to solid old growth timberland, we do have leaves . . . I use the mower to chop them up, then put on the bagging attachment to collect them, then spread over the garden for the winter. this I do primarily because we have a fenced yard, unfenced garden and a (house) dog that just loves mud....
my preferred alternative: put the chopped up leaves in a big honking pile and let them rot for (at least) a year - voile - leaf mold.... works wonders as a pathway mulch and does not blow away as it's already semi-composted.