Cheap Gardening Tips: Use Newspaper for Mulch
April 19, 2007 by Deborah Ng
Filed under Around the House, Eco Simplicity, Reusing and Recycling, Simple Pleasures, Simpler Thinking
Mulch is great for the garden. It helps to keep the soil moist and acts as an insulator, keeping your plants warm in the winter and cool in the summer. If purchased by the bag, it can get expensive. Purchasing by the truckload can cost a fortune. Thankfully, you can make your own. My older sisters shared this great tip with me: Most newspapers are printed with a vegetable based dye and can be used as not only mulch, but also a barrier to keep the weeds from ruining your flower garden. It may sound unconventional but it’s inexpensive and it works. After pulling weeds, lay a thick layer of newspaper over the area that’s to become your garden. Poke holes and plant your seeds or plants and cover with soil or mulch.
I like the idea of free mulch. I get very aggrivated throwing away things that can be recycled. This is a good use for newspaper.
The best thing I learned from this article, however, is that the newspaper can be used as a weed barriar. I don’t like using plastic, and I would do most anything to avoid pulling weeds.
We’ve used newspaper in our veggie garden as long as I can remember, but we always put straw on top. Will it stay put w/o the straw?
There are natural ways to keep your garden looking green and healthy. Maintaining your garden by lightly saturating it daily with water and using your compost soil will dramatically perk up the growth in your plants. The premium time to water your garden is in the early morning, so rise and shine! And for all those who can’t stand reeling in the hose, here is something for you. Check out the No Crank hose reel by going to the link below. The power of water pressure rewinds the hose so you don’t have to! Water is a vital part of a flower’s life, but too much can upset the delicate balance of nutrient production. Too little will have the same effect. The outward signs of too much water are wilting and yellowing of leaves, especially those in the inner areas of the plant. Vegetables need about an inch of water each week.
A good way to test the texture of your soil is with the “Ribbon Test.” After you take a soil sample, roll it back and forth in your hand. If it sticks together easily, it is high in clay, if it simply falls apart, it is probably has a lot of sand. Clay soils don’t drain well and are difficult for the roots to penetrate. Sandy soils drain well but don’t retain nutrients. Adding organic material will help both sandy and clay soils. Not sure how to make compost, well it’s simple. Start with a layer of chopped leaves, grass clippings and kitchen waste like banana peels, eggshells, old lettuce leaves, apple cores, coffee grounds, and whatever else is available. Keep adding materials until you have a six-inch layer, then cover it with three to six inches of soil, manure, or finished compost. Your plants will love this natural food! Did you know the soil can determine the color of the hydrangeas you grow? Check out the link below for some awesome gardening tips.
http://naturalsupply.blogspot.com/2007/05/natural-gardening-tips.html
Can we use magazines as mulch?
Thanks.
I bought a no-crank hose reel (not the kind you listed, but another) from Lowes to try it out. I aniticpated returning it because I usually don’t go for these “gimmicks” — but it works great! I confess I was delightfully mistaken. It really works great!! Gradually open the rewind lever, or you’ll pop off the little hose because of the immediate pressure. My wife loves it too. Be sure to stick the little hose in a bucket and save the water it shoots out, or you will waste about 2 buckets of water to wind up a 100′ hose. I use that water for my lilac bush starts.
check out this new site I found…
http://realfreestuffforall.com/index.htm