Use Newspaper in the Organic Garden

Organic gardeners often look for ways to stretch their dollar by using household items in the garden. Using newspapers in the garden is frugal and environmentally sound. When gardeners discard their newspapers in the garbage, they contribute to the 6% of the waste stream made up by newspapers in landfills, according to Ohio State University. That newspaper can take decades to decompose in such an anaerobic environment.

Newspaper Mulch for Container Gardens

Gardeners can cut newspapers into circles that custom fit their flower and vegetable containers to slow moisture loss in pots. Disguise the newspaper with organic mulch or decorative moss.

Newspaper in the Compost Bin

When added to the compost bin, newspaper functions as a carbon-rich ingredient that sweetens the pile when too many kitchen scraps and lawn clippings make it odoriferous. Run over sheets of newspaper with the lawnmower and bag the paper and grass clippings together to create the perfect mix of nitrogen and carbon for the compost bin.

Newspaper in the Worm Bin

Shredded newspaper makes the perfect bedding for the worm compost bin. Gardeners should run the paper through a paper shredder, excluding shiny advertising pages. Add enough water to the newspaper so that it is as damp as a wrung out sponge. The worms will feed on the newspaper along with the food scraps, so replenish it regularly.

Newspaper for Lasagna Gardening

Lasagna gardening involves layering newspapers or cardboard, soil, and compost over a planting space to create a new garden bed. Newspapers make an excellent first layer in the lasagna garden bed, as they make an impenetrable mat that smothers weeds when soaked with water and placed several inches thick.

Newspaper as Frost Protection

Gardeners in temperate climates can stretch the gardening season using cold frames, but sometimes these aren’t enough to protect even hardy greens from freezing temperatures. Lining the cold frame with newspapers further insulates cold frames, providing a few extra degrees of protection on frigid nights.

Make Paper Pots for Seed Starting

Gardeners can make newspaper pots for seed starting by purchasing a wooden form that twists the paper into small containers. Gardeners can also make paper planters out of newspaper for starting seedlings. This is a fun activity to do with children who are learning about recycling and gardening.

Cut newspapers into one-inch strips, and soak them in a bucket filled with water, so that the ratio is one part paper to two parts water. After one day of soaking, the wood fibers can be pulped by beating the mixture with an eggbeater. Squeeze all excess water from the pulp, and press a half inch layer inside a plastic cup. After three days, take the handmade planter out of the plastic cup and use it to start a cutting or seed.

Source:

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency