What To Know Before Trying Out This Sustainable Mulch Alternative In Your Garden

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Back when Americans regularly read the daily newspaper at home, it was common practice for gardeners to repurpose those pages in flower beds and gardens. This logical solution solved two problems — newspapers gave many of the same benefits of mulching and utilizing them in the garden kept massive piles from accumulating. Fewer people receive an actual newspaper on a regular basis today, but most still have access to an ample paper supply. However, before trying out this sustainable mulch alternative in your garden, there are a few things you need to know about the benefits, as well as the potential drawbacks and how to use it in an effective way.

The benefits of utilizing newspaper — or many other types of paper — as a mulch alternative are numerous. Like mulch, paper is an effective way to regulate soil temperature, help the ground retain moisture, and suppress weed growth. Since paper is organic, it also decomposes and adds nutrients as it does. Finally, because excess paper is easy to find, it is a cost-effective mulch alternative, allowing gardeners to refresh garden mulch often.

While paper provides a good deal of benefits for those who choose to utilize it as a mulch alternative, there are also some concerns and potential pitfalls. For starters, not all paper is suitable for use as mulch. Glossy pages and colored papers are both rife with chemicals and dyes, which you don't want leaching into your garden. Wind can also scatter the paper throughout your lawn and beyond if you don't take proper precautions. Additionally, some paper is prone to matting, which will prevent water from reaching the soil. Finally, since it is made of wood, dense layers of paper which don't disintegrate quickly can actually attract termites.

There are several methods for incorporating paper as a mulch alternative in your garden and beds. Gardeners have long used sheets of newspaper as weed suppression. To utilize this method, place a few layers of full sheets of newspaper between rows in your garden. You can also layer across the entire garden, cutting holes to give seedlings room to emerge. Then, water the layers of paper thoroughly. After that, cover the paper with either traditional mulch or a layer of topsoil. You can also cover with other natural mulching materials, such as grass clippings, straw, or leaves.

Shredded paper also makes an effective mulch alternative. This paper can be hand torn or cut with scissors, although if you plan on using a good amount of it, a portable shredder like the Amazon Basics 8-Sheet Shredder is well worth the investment. Again, it is important to make sure you are not using paper which has been dyed or treated with chemicals. Additionally, while cardboard can also be utilized, it is important to make sure the cardboard you use hasn't been treated with waterproofing or other preservative chemicals that can leach into the soil.

Once you have a supply of shredded paper, you can apply it around plants just as you would traditional mulch. Be sure to wet the paper and cover it with soil, straw, or leaves to keep it from becoming windblown once it dries. Shreds of paper and cardboard can also be mixed in with your compost, where it can decompose with the other organic material before being added to your garden.