Things You'll Need:
- Organic Mulch
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Step 1
What is organic mulch? It is composed of plant or animal products that break down over time. In the following I will list some of the most common and least expensive. To control weeds, in our cultivated beds and gardens we need look no farther than our own yard.
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Step 2
For weed control simply spread newspaper over the area you wish to protect. Use two to three sheets thick. It is illegal to use toxic ingredients in newspaper ink in the United States and most are soy based. The newspaper will break down and dissolve over time. It allows moisture to penetrate and can be tilled into soil as a soil amendment. Provides for easy clean-up at end of growing season if used with the following organic mulches.
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Step 3
The most effective and readily available organic mulch is pine straw. Some people incorrectly believe that pine needles contain turpentine but this is not the case. Other include wood chips, and leaves. If you do not have pine trees available just collect leaves in the fall and run a lawn mower over them until reduced to a coarse consistency. Can be done in the fall and stored in plastic bags for use in the spring. You can also run the mower over leaves so they can be used in a compost pile.
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Step 4
For mulching of flower beds or gardens simply spread newspaper over the area and cover with one of the above mulches. The items covered here can be found in your own yard and will contain no harsh chemicals. They can simply be tilled into the soil when growing cycle is complete.
Comments
lmccray4 said
on 2/27/2009 great article I am going to try these ideas this summer 5*
utopiandream30 said
on 2/19/2009 I've used the newspaper technique, and it works great! Nice article, 5*