Have you tried wet newspapers to prevent weeds?

Question

I recently read a tip to place wet newspapers on the soil and then put mulch on top. No weeds should come through. I plan to try it in the spring; just wondering if anyone has tried this.

Answer 1

Yes I have, and it works great. Make sure the papers are quite thick and over lap quite well. Water regularily to keep moist and apply a thick cover of mulch. I find it easier than removal by hand and prefer it to chemical methods.

Answer 2

This method does work well. many answers are correct except that the bed should be uncultivated. Hand weed the larger weeds - leave the rest. Wet the newspaper in a wheelbarrow filled with water (20 sheets thick) lay in an overlap on the bed. Repeat this until the area is covered. Make small holes for your plantings. Once the plants are in place fertilize on the paper around the rootball and cover any exposed soil with more paper. For existing shrubs etc. just get as close to the trunk as you can with the paper. Your bed should have been watered heavily prior to starting this - so all that's left is a good 4-5 inches of mulch and leave UNDISTURBED except for watering.
Yes, the paper will break down over time and you will have to pull out the odd weed, the idea being to keep out as much sunlight for as long as possible! I hope you have success whatever method you choose.

Answer 3

I have done this with great success. I used whole newspapers and made sure they are overlapped. Don't worry about wetting them though unless it is extremely windy. A couple of sheets will break down pretty quickly so I think the extra thickness is what does the trick.

I used this around shrubs and then applied 5" of wood chip for shrub beds. I left an area of 8" x 8" around each shrub to allow for water penetration. No weeds from underneath ever, it has now been 5 years. You will always get wind borne weed seeds sprouting in the top mulch but I didn't even weed the seasonal grasses before I laid the mulch down. No plant can grow without light.

My newsagent will give you the newspapers (yesterdays that no one bought, saves him paying to have them recycled), I collect them over a period and it gives me great quantities to use over big areas.

I wouldn't use this method in flower beds or perennial borders it would take the paper to long to breakdown. Even though the news paper is now completely broken down I'm only getting weeds in the top mulch, the seed cycle for the weeds underneath seems to have been broken. Hope this helps.

Answer 4

Yes yes yes. I did this last year around my Hostas. I lived in an old area and weeds were rampant and uncontrollable...and I was on a budget and I'm all for the environment so when my neighbor told me about the newspaper idea I tried it! It worked! I did notice that you have to use at least three layers though and make sure the papers are well layered so the weeds don't have anywhere to sneak through. good luck!

Answer 5

I have been using newspapers for years and am very satisfied with results. But I usually use 1/4" to 1/2" inch layers of paper. The thicker the newspaper the longer they will prevent weeds for popping Thur. Newspapers accumulate rapidly and this is also a great way to recycle and save money, which you can than spend on the other things for your garden.

Answer 6

My beds are lined with newspaper. No weeds. You must use at least 7 to 9 layers of paper for it to be effective. Makes a great weed killer as spring prep....less work for you.

Oh, it doesn't have to be wet when you put it down. Wet it when you are through mulching, easier to work with.

Answer 7

http://www.lesslawn.com/articles/article1032.html

Here's one article about that.
I've read this tip in several places, from sources that I trust.

However you need several months' time to do this. Put your newspapers down - 10 layers or so, wet them, mulch them, then in 3-4 months the newspapers will have composted into the soil, with lots of nice earthworms underneath, and you will be ready to plant, down through the mulch. I know that when you put cardboard down the worms love that too - you lift up the cupboard and there they are!

I haven't tried it yet, as I'm always in the position of -I have to get these plants into the ground NOW (because winter's coming and I have to plant before the ground freezes!) and so haven't had the chance to try it. I do have plans to do it this fall for next spring though. (Once I get done planting the multitude that have to go into the ground NOW, that is.)

Answer 8

How do you use the wet newspaper technique while trying to grow Asian Jasmine in Texas. They can not be surrounded by mulch. We do have other parts of the garden I plan to try this. The weeds take over quickly.

Answer 9

Yes and wet cardboard too. The cardboard was slippery! The newspaper tried into a paper-machie solid layer that I then put bark or dried grass over the top, otherwise the paper tried and easily tore. It worked for a season and was plowed under in the fall. Since inks are now soy based, not lead based, I didn't worry about toxic chemicals. I didn't use colored pages, most had a slippery face that didn't work as well........and at that time the colored pages still had lead in certain colors. Not now though.

Answer 10

It does work to an extent but remember weeds can break up concrete so newspaper won't keep them at bay for a long time! It does work whilst the plants are flowering though. You can get special membrane that is a lot tougher.