Newspaper or Landscape Fabric | 5 Reasons Newspaper Kills Weeds BETTER!
Newspaper or Landscape Fabric?
We’ve shared this tip before – but with the awesome weather, we have had the last couple days it seemed like a good time to mention it again!
My kids helped me weed my flower beds today and I ran up to Lowe’s to get some mulch – but before I lay it down, I’m putting down some newspaper to save myself from weeding anymore this season.
Why Newspaper? Once you’ve spent hours upon hours hunched over hand-weeding a flower bed – you’re in no hurry to do it again. Here’s a little tip I learned from my mom (the greenest thumb I know) about keeping out weeds in your flowerbeds….
Layer on the Newspaper!
Newspapering your weeded flower beds is a cheap, easy way to keep our unwanted weeds by denying them light. Here are 5 Ways using Newspaper totally trumps laying down landscaping fabric in your garden:
- It’s a great way to recycle old papers.
- Newspaper amends the soil, leaving it soft and loose if it is currently hard and rocky. As the cotton fibers in the paper decompose, it makes your soil richer and softer for next year’s planting! This hard clay soil here in Tennessee is a prime example of why I need to newspaper my beds.
- Get ready to grow a nice crop of earthworms – because they LOVE the layer where the paper meets the soil. And we all know worms are good for your plants – as well as handy on a fishing trip.
- Newspaper is FREE – whereas the black landscaping fabric can get costly.
- In fact, the landscaping fabric really is evil stuff. You not only will have weeds start growing through the microscopic holes in the fabric (also, many seeds are airborne and will just land on top anyway) – but it’s nearly impossible to pull them out when their roots are under/enmeshed in the fabric (You literally have to CUT the landscaping fabric off the ground to get the weeds out!)
Are you convinced yet? Then let’s get cracking! You’ll need to weed your beds first and then lie down a thick layer of 8-10 sheets of stacked newspaper. (If you run out, wet cardboard will work as well) Cover with a thick layer of mulch (about 3″) and you’ll be weed-free for a few years before you need to lie down anymore!
Do you have any tips for keeping weeds out? I’d love to hear them!
I agree about the newspapers being better than landscaping fabric.
This is all my mom has ever used in her garden and flower beds. Here’s a great tip I learned from her: put a stack in your wheelbarrow and fill with water to soak the papers before laying them down. This not only adds moisture, but also keeps the papers where you put them if the day is windy. Lay them on _thick_ and top with donated hay from a farmer – hay he can’t feed his animals due to moisture or contents within the bale like weeds. Regular paper breaks down faster than the slick ads, but both can be used. Stay away from slick magazines. Become the local newspaper recycler for your neighbors who do not garden. They will be happy to donate their read stacks.
This is very true! I laid newspaper down last year and not a single weed came through!
I want to know if you can use brown paper instead of newspapers. Like the brown paper you might use when taping off before painting
If you live in or close to Chattanooga, here’s a money-saving tip:
The City of Chattanooga operates the wood recycling center, which recycles organic yard waste that is collected at the curbside by city collection crews, contractors, and homeowners.
Wood waste from trees and trimmings as well as leaves may be disposed of at the wood recycle center at a standard rate for non-city residents and businesses.
Location & Phone Number
3925 North Hawthorne Street
Chattanooga, TN 37406
(423) 697-9702
Hours of Operation
Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. ; Saturday 8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Mulch
Mulch is available at no charge to City of Chattanooga residents when a valid drivers license is presented. City crews will load mulch into trucks or trailers. Residents are limited to a standard size pick-up truck or single axle trailer for free loads of mulch. City of Chattanooga residents may also purchase additional loads at standard rates. Non-city residents will be charged standard rates.
Loads
Mulch will be loaded in any size truck but will not be overloaded and should remain 4-inches below the walls of an open truck bed, trailer, or container. Mulch must be covered by a tarpaulin before leaving the facility.
Standard Rates
Wood Waste Disposal / $20.00 per ton; $20.00 minimum
Mulch / $10.00 per ton; $5.00 minimum
(when you consider that a 3-cubic foot bag can cost $3-5, you see the savings PILE up)
A few years ago, we replanted our front lawn. We laid cardboard over the entire yard then topsoil, fertilizer and grass seed. We got the nicest lawn without all those pesky weeds! This year, I’m using cardboard to rid myself of weeds in flower beds. I find the cardboard easier to work with than newspaper which tends to blow around before I get a chance to get the mulch down.
That’s great Sarah!! I may have to try the cardboard approach as well – sounds like it would indeed be easier to work with!
When you water with a water hose, does the water penetrate the newspaper and get down to the roots of the plants? I didn’t know if the newspaper would keep moisture from getting to the ground.
It doesn’t prevent water from getting down there Karin – but good question!
I’ve seen newspaper compress and prevent water penetrating and reaching the ground. Break down? I’ve seen newspaper still readable after many years, with the ground underneath dry and hard as concrete – sterile. Yet the mulch put on top had broken down with an abundance of weeds growing in it. I will never use newspaper and I discourage it’s use.
David thanks for your feedback! This wasn’t the case in my experience – but I appreciate knowing that this sometimes happens!
I plan to use them in a new flower bed. Just to clarify I lay the newspaper down wet then I can put topsoil and fertilizer then plant flowers. Right?
You’ve got it! Good luck!
I would guess the newspaper would go over the top of the soil..?
yes
Would this work for small stone walkway. I’m always pulling weeds there
I’ve never tried it on a stone walkway but it seems like it would work.
Question? Do existing plants and bulbs come up in spring through the newspaper???
You know Evelyn – I’m not sure because I didn’t do this treatment over the flowerbed that has bulbs in it. I’d love to hear though if it works for you!
Can somebody email me at shellyastn@yahoo.com about the newspaper idea.
I’m starting a flower bed but haven’t planted nothing yet so do I lay the newspaper first or plant my flowers first
Up above someone asked the same in this order and they said that was correct. I am trying this myself for a new flowerbed I am starting this weekend.
” Just to clarify I lay the newspaper down wet then I can put topsoil and fertilizer then plant flowers”
Yes Nichole! Lay the newspaper down to prevent the weeds from getting any sunlight and then you can start fresh with garden soil and flowers, etc… 🙂
You could do either way.
Yes, the shoots of the bulbs will push through. If I have plants already in place, I just place the papers around the plants.
I do this annually. I have great worms.
I’m just curious why is it necessary to wet the paper before covering with the topsoil? Would it matter if I laid it dry? The soil/clay is very wet at the moment.
It just keeps the papers from flying around
A fellow texted me and said to never use old news paper, it causes cancer, any truth to that statement??
There used to be carcinogens in newspapers a long time ago but now they have changed the composition of the inks etc. It is also important to note that you are not locked in a room with a ton of newspapers for days or months endangering yourself by inhaling whatever harmful chemicals you might be exposed to.
The newspapers are in your garden and are quick to biodegrade.
Same gentleman said never use railroad ties for same reason???? Help!!!! That was my plan for a garden this year!!!!?
I have never heard that newspapers cause cancer. Maybe long in the past but not now. Railroad ties were treated with creosote which is bad. I believe you can buy untreated ties. The railroad did not want their ties disintegrating.
I’m thinking of laying down those brown paper lawn bags instead of newspaper since I don’t have any. Do you think that will work?
I really do think that will work just great Judy! I totally filled in gaps in my newspaper layer with those brown paper bags when I did this a couple years back 🙂 Let us know how it works out for you!
How did the lawn bags work?
I live in Maryland…have 4 flowerbeds with roses around my yard.It is full of weeds…am planning on using Preen to get rid of weeds and then layering the newspaper or cardboard….