I am using shredded garden waste to improve my soil.?

Question

Is there a problem using oak leaves, for some reason I think I have heard there might be.

I was also wondering if using shredded news paper in the vegetable garden, my concerns being the ink content in the news print contaminating the veg.

Indiandy

Answer 1

Oak leaves GOOD for mulch. See the following article about half way down the page.

http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/horticulture/DG5570.html

The newspaper is ok as most inks used now a days are soy based. The newpaper can keep weeds down but can make your yard look trashy if not maintained.

Answer 2

If you want to turn old newspapers into good compost and make a bit of money on the side build some worm boxes. A wooden box with a screen bottom. Get one of those cheap paper shredders and shred up your newspaper. Fill the box about half full. Now, either dig or buy 40 or 50 earthworms and put them in the box. Store the box in a cool but not cold, dark place checking it once or twice a week to make sure its not getting too wet. If it starts getting wet, add more paper. If its getting really dry, spray it with a bit of water but don't soak it. The worms will turn the paper into a very rich compost. The worms will also breed and multiply. When it half full of good compost(about 6 months) remove all the worms, dump the compost into your garden, refill the box and put back in the same number of worms. The worms left over can be sold to fishermen.
You can also put a tray under your box and collect the liquid that drips down. You can use this liquid to feed house plants or hanging baskets or planters but not too much as its very strong.

Answer 3

there is an upside to this and a downside. the shredded paper will improve the soil over time, and in the mean time will help with water retention and aeration. newspapers actually work best, and degrade slowly. the down sides are this. paper, requires the proper microbes to disintegrate, or sunlight. if you till it in, it wont get sunlight, so you need to make sure that things such as worms of the fishing variety are in the soil. the other down side is some of the ink has things in it you don't really want in you veggies. however, the amounts are usually tiny and wont hurt a thing. they degrade too. best case, put the paper in the ground in the fall, let it deteriorate over the winter. or, just add it to a compost pile and compost it. basically, any food type garbage, grass, tree limbs,and even nails and steel can go into the ground, if it came from the ground, it is usually OK to put it back in the ground. just don't over do any one thing.

Answer 4

Hi There

the problem with oak leaves is that they take a long time to break down before they are usable as a soil improver

there is no problems with using shredded newspaper in the vegetable garden as long as it is mixed with green waste

Answer 5

A bit of shredded oak leaves is fine, but not too much, as they simply won't break down that quickly. Shredded newspaper is fine, too, and the inks they use are mostly non-toxic. Don't worry about that.

We always put our garden waste through a shredder.

At the end of the season, dig trenches and throw in your compost, then cover it over.

Answer 6

the best secret is do not just put the garden waste directly into the garden.. make yourself a compost pile or container.put any thing that is not protein into it add a little water and turn it every few days or so.. yes you can add a little shredded news paper the rule is when you do it should be less than 1/2 of the organics.. also add a shovel of two of garden soil into the mix so it will decompose faster.
the reason it should be separate is decomposing stuff will attract a certain type of insects,you don't want them in yer veggies.

Answer 7

Oak leaves contain a large amount of tannin, so they don't rot down so easily. If they are incorporated in a compost heap, however, they will eventually.

I am not sure how toxic newsprint is. Most papers are printed by offset litho, these days, so there is no risk of antimony poisoning. The only risk, I think, would be from small amounts of water-soluble chemicals from the papermaking process. I don't think that it would be a very big problem at all.

Answer 8

Ask your local government officials about some chemical reactions of the said tree or some chemicals to compost the materials faster.
As for the news print, I guess, ink is just fine and is composite, but to be sure locate the authority for the matter.

Answer 9

No but let them rot down first excellent as mulch put round the plants at the base above the soil. Newspapper will not do any harm eather in fact put in your trench for runner beans is very good for retaining moisture. All the best

Answer 10

As long as they are mixed with other plant matter and well rotted they are okay. However, un-rotted concentrated leaf mould can prevent other plant growth and oak leaves may contain fungus infections and canker that can damage other shrubs.