Is it Good to Use a Newspaper as a Weed Control on Vegetable Gardens?

Recycle newspapers as mulch for your vegetable garden.

Gardeners sometimes get creative when looking for organic and nontoxic mulch materials for their vegetable gardens. Recycled newspapers can be used as mulch and have the added benefit of keeping them out of landfills. Because of its limited effectiveness in large applications, newspapers as mulch are best used by home gardeners with small- to medium-size vegetable gardens.

No Colored Ink

Black ink used in newspapers does not contain harmful chemicals. Therefore, it is OK to use it in the vegetable garden as a mulch. Do not use any pages containing colored ink, as colored ink contains harmful chemicals.

Multi-Layers

For newspapers to be effective as a mulch for a vegetable garden, they need to be applied in a thick layer. Put down at least four layers of newspaper on the soil in your vegetable garden. Overlap the pieces slightly to ensure no gaps remain where weeds can grow.

Secure to Ground

Secure the edges of the newspaper mulch to the ground so it doesn't blow away in dry, windy weather. Use bent pieces of wire pushed through the edge of the paper and into the ground to hold the newspaper mulch in place. Small rocks strategically placed along the edges of the newspapers will also hold them in place.

Shredded

A 4- to 5-inch layer of shredded or chopped newspapers can also be used as a mulch. This method requires 500 lbs. of shredded or 600 lbs. of chopped newspaper for each 1,000 square feet of garden bed, according to West Virginia University Extension.

References

• Washington State University Extension: The Myth of Paper-Based Sheet Mulch
• West Virginia University Extension: Recycling Newspaper for Mulch in Home Gardens