A video that shows how to use a paper and mulch technique for organic weed control in beds and borders, including the best mulch and types of paper.
I’m so excited to share our newest video with you since I’ve talked a LOT through the years of this blog about one of my favorite ways to keep weeds to a minimum in flower, shrub, and perennial beds and borders: by layering newspaper, brown paper or cardboard with a rich garden compost mulch. How much? Try here, here, and here – oh and here, too.
Why do I love this type of organic weed control with paper and mulch so much?
- It’s the NUMBER ONE way I’ve found to have nearly weed-free beds with the least amount of thought, money and time on my part and – this is key – for a long time. No expensive chemicals or reapplications through the season – we just do it once and we’re done for the year.
- It compounds over time. The first year you do this to a weed infested bed, you will only have a few straggling weeds to pick out during the growing season, but with the next spring’s rains you’ll see a number trying to return.Never fear – layer again and the next spring you’ll see less weeds, and so on. If you do this yearly, it compounds, smothering existing weeds and seeds, not allowing weeds to set seed and even keeping pernicious weeds like violets in check until eventually, you may be able move to an every-other-year cycle.
- It enriches the soil and feeds the plants. By using a garden compost, I’m feeding the plants and helping the soil as it breaks down naturally over time. See that photo above? I’ve never added any type of fertilizer to this bed other than the yearly (or every other year, a-hem) topping of paper and compost – it’s 9 years old and the plants love it. This goes for roses, perennials, shrubs, everything.
- It helps keep the soil moist during the summer months.
- I love how it looks – so healthy, clean and tidy.
Believe me, if I had never learned of this (through Organic Gardening in the mid-90s when we bought our first house), Brian and I would not have nearly the beds we do – it just wouldn’t be worth it. And so I keep shouting this method from the rooftops.
And by that I mean our YouTube channel (hey, whatever works – seems like the 21st century equivalent of a rooftop, doesn’t it?) where we’ve added to our gardening videos (like our solution to rural weeds & pasture grass) with this newest one all about using my favorite gardening technique, layering paper and compost mulch:
So tell me, do you use this method, too? If not, what’s your favorite way to keep weeds under control?
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Oh, goodness – found your article just in time! Seems like this will be our March project! QUESTION: Do you plant the flowers and bushes first, then paper? I may still want to plant more later. I assume we just cut down into the cardboard/paper to do so….? Thanks!
It depends on if I’m starting a new bed or adding to an existing bed, Renee. I will usually plant first in a new bed and then just cut through the paper if I want to add anything later on. Otherwise I just lay it around the plants. I usually save thicker cardboard for areas I’m sure I won’t be planting in, because it takes longer to break down and is harder to cut through. The newspaper will start breaking down within a few weeks and is easy to cut through with a trowel.
I think you will love the results with this!
Awsome. Thanks for sharing. Gllaucia,from Montevideo, Uruguay, South América
For Weed Control, I use the old time method of “Weed Burning.” I simply purchased a 100,000 BTU flame torch from Flameengineering.com called the Weed Dragon. There are stronger and weaker versions of this device. I connect to a propane tank and with the flick of a flint steel, I am off and weeding. You don’t actually “burn/cook” the weed; you only need to wilt them. The plant/weed’s cell walls rupture from heat and the next time the roots attempt to send nutrients to the weed, there is no where for the nutrients to go and atrophy sets in within 2-4 days. Chemical free, fun, head turning, and highly effective. Although, I have a lot of gravel pathways, so my flame doesn’t kill grass just heats the rocks and kills the weeds in the rocks. I will be employing the HDPE method as a barrier to Jasmine ground cover, my worst nightmare in the garden. 🙂
We have a torch, too, JT, but haven’t found it to be as effective as you state. Maybe it works better on certain types of weeds? Also it takes a LONG time on the amount of weeds we’re dealing with and I don’t want to be torching next to plants I want. You gotta have a lot of different methods I think to get weeds under control when you’ve got a larger piece of property. 🙂 Thanks for your insight!
I wish I ran into this earlier. Do you know if you can use this late in the season? As I have troubles with a fence line I would love to be able to get rid of.
You can use it anytime of the year, Kathy! If you don’t have any plants in the area, you don’t even have to soak the ground first. 🙂
Nice video.
I do use this method- especially in the backyard beds. I started using this method after learning about it at a composting class. The instructor said that you can use any paper: colored, shiny, whatever, because as the paper and inks break down into the soil it helps to make all those ingredients break down into safer byproducts. So i’ve been using any paper I can get – we don’t have a newspaper subscription, so most of my paper are weekend ads.
I also use large boxes broken down from Sam’s or Costco cereal or crackers, pizza boxes (my teenage sons often order pizza), pretty much anything that’s larger sized. This method works great for me, but best when I put enough mulch. Some years I’ve tried to scrimp on mulch cost and use less and either the paper/cardboard starts showing and/or i get a few weeds. But it’s still MUCH less than if I didn’t use paper.
That’s true for us, too, Jen – when we’ve tried to skimp on the mulch, we’re usually sorry for it after the first rain or watering. 🙂 I read about not using the colored, shiny parts in Organic Gardening.
Hi Jami,
Have you ever had any problem with pests using the newspaper/cardboard to hide? We have lots of earwigs who seem to like o find little hiding places. I like the idea of not weeding!
Thanks, Melissa
Not anymore than usual, Melissa – earwigs will find anyplace anyway.:) We don’t notice more bugs or pests in general with this – just less weeds!
I use this method as well. One thing I do is fill a bucket with water & immerse my paper in it as I work. I live in the midwest & it’s impossible to spread dry paper. This way, the paper is dripping wet & heavy & gives me plenty of time to spread it then cover with mulch.
I do have a few questions – do you add paper every year or just initially? I add mulch every year but I don’t add paper every year. I’m wondering if that makes much difference? Also, do you lay your soaker hose under th emulch or on top of it? I noticed the soaker hose in the last bed but didn’t see them after the mulch was layed?
That’s a great tip for the paper, Jen, perfect for where it’s hot and dry.
As for your question about applying the paper in subsequent years – yes, we have to in order to keep the weeds in check. We live in the damp NW and LOTS of plants like it here, which is good and bad. 😉 Some areas of the country with less moisture could probably get away with mulch only in future years or maybe using the paper layer as needed, maybe every 2-3 years.
We lay the soakers on top of the paper, and then apply the mulch on top of the soakers. I would love to have the soakers unseen from the mulch, but in reality the soakers are visible in the few weeks after laying.
Is there any concern about the ink from the print getting into the soil? Just wondering
Not regular paper ink, Judee – Organic Gardening looked into it and it’s fine (can’t remember exactly why now), though they suggested not using the shiny color sections, so I don’t use those. I also don’t like the really colored sections like the funnies, as they look odd if they start to show through after awhile. 🙂
I use this method in my garden beds. It works like a charm. Who likes weeding anyway? ♥
Well said, Martha. 🙂