How to Mulch With Paper

Paper mulches provide many of the same benefits as plastic mulch. The paper blocks weed growth and holds moisture in the soil. Unlike plastic, the paper decomposes into the soil within a year, providing nutritive benefits to the garden bed. You must reapply paper mulch, so it's best suited for use in annual flower beds and vegetable gardens. Special landscaping paper is available from garden centers or you can use old newspapers for mulching the garden.

Things You'll Need

• Hoe or tiller
• Landscaping paper or newspaper

Instructions

1. Weed the garden bed by hand or cultivate the soil with a hoe or tiller. Remove all visible weeds and any debris, including dead plants, large roots and rocks.

2. Add compost or fertilizer to the bed, if necessary. Work these amendments into the soil. Rake the soil surface smooth after application.

3. Lay the paper over the soil surface. Use a single sheet of landscaping paper or six to 10 sheets of newspaper. Overlap the edges of the paper by 3 inches so the soil is completely covered.

4. Mist the paper with water to help weigh it down. Smooth the surface of the paper with your hands so it's in full contact with the soil beneath.

5. Cut or tear a 3-inch diameter hole in the paper. Plant the annual seedlings or transplants through the hole.

Tips & Warnings

• Cover paper mulch with a 1-inch layer of straw, wood chips or bark nuggets. The covering camouflages the paper and helps hold it in place.

• Till the paper into the soil at the end of the growing season so it can finish breaking down before spring.

• Newspaper mulch is slippery when wet, so avoid placing it in areas of the garden where it may pose a walking hazard.

References

• University of Minnesota Extension; Mulching the Home Landscape; Susan Barrot; July 1999
• Virginia Cooperative Extension; Mulches for the Home Vegetable Garden; Diane Relf; May 2009