Paper Mulches

Every garden has its share of weeds. However, there are ways to minimize the amount of time you must spend on weeding. Paper mulches are one solution.

Advantages of Paper Mulches

There are many advantages to paper mulches. Being biodegradable, they’re environmentally friendly. At the same time, they keep the soil moist, which is desirable in areas where summers tend to be hot and dry. Over time as the paper decomposes, it adds organic matter to the soil.

By using cardboard boxes and newspapers as mulch, you’re reusing a plentiful resource that might otherwise end up in the landfill. Some people use pizza boxes. However, these can be greasy.

For the most part, paper is readily available at no charge. The exception is special paper mulches available from garden catalogs and elsewhere.

Using Cardboard and Newspaper as Mulch

Flatten each box into a single layer of cardboard. Open the sheets of newspaper, and stack eight to ten sheets to create a thick layer. Continue stacking until you have enough layers to cover the area.

To hold the boxes or newspaper in place, spread a layer of wood chips, bark mulch, or chopped leaves on top of the paper. Otherwise, it can blow away.

Sheet Composting with Cardboard and Newspaper

Paper mulches are especially useful when you’re creating new flower beds and borders. With this approach, no tilling is needed. This process is called sheet composting.

Prepare the bed in the fall so the area will be ready to plant the following spring. If weeds or grass are present, mow the area. Next, spread the paper. Finally, place several inches of chopped leaves or wood chips on top of the paper. In some areas of the landscape, gravel or stone are suitable alternatives.

At planting time the following spring, cut holes in the paper for the plants.

Commercial Paper Mulches

Several commercial paper mulches are available. These are considered an eco-friendly alternative to regular black plastic.

One brand is called Planter’s Paper. It has one real advantage over newspaper. The black color helps the soil heat up quicker in the spring. For that reason, this is especially desirable for northern gardens where the growing season is rather short.

Apply this commercial paper mulch as you would regular black plastic. Roll it into place down the row. Hold the edges and ends down with stones or soil.

Like any other paper, this commercial paper mulch is biodegradable. It will begin to decompose within about four months, depending on the weather. If it hasn’t disappeared by the end of the growing season, throw some chopped leaves over the top to speed up the composting process.