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Step 1
Consider your needs in the garden. If damp weather is a problem, use only a thin layer of newspapers. If the plot is dry, or in an area with stubborn weeds, or you want the mulch to last a few years, make it thicker. A layer of three or four sheets works for most needs.
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Step 2
Use only the large black and white sections of the newspaper. Besides being easier to handle, there won't be any plastic inserts or other unwanted bits to end up as trash in the garden.
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Step 3
Do not block any plant life that will need to break through the soil later. Seeds are not strong enough to push through newspaper, and neither are spring bulbs like daffodils, tulips, and hyacinths.
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Step 4
To make the mulch look better with landscaping, cover the top of the newspaper with wood chip mulch and do not leave any newspaper exposed. The wood chips should be about 3 inches deep. The parts that are exposed will dry out quickly and then wick away moisture. Plus, it just looks ugly and sloppy.
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Step 5
Leave about 3 inches without newspapers around each plant. Be cautious about using newspaper mulch around young plants. The newspaper may remove a bit of nitrogen from the soil, not a lot, but enough to weaken a plant that is not yet established.
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Step 6
Consider the elements. Hold down the newspapers with rocks or bricks. If using the newspaper mulch on a slope, be aware that it can slide away from the area. Water the area well so the newspaper will settle.
