Comments on: Planting with a Newspaper Weed Blanket http://littlehouseinthesuburbs.com/2008/11/planting-with-newspaper-weed-blanket.html simplicity, creativity, self-sufficiency,...minivans Mon, 21 May 2012 15:48:26 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Tomato Lady http://littlehouseinthesuburbs.com/2008/11/planting-with-newspaper-weed-blanket.html/comment-page-1#comment-15899 Tomato Lady Tue, 01 May 2012 20:54:20 +0000 http://littlehouse2.wordpress.com/2008/12/01/planting-with-a-newspaper-weed-blanket/#comment-15899 Sam--I really like weed blanketing. I used it again for a large <a href="http://littlehouseinthesuburbs.com/2010/11/making-lasagna-beds.html">area</a>, and it has made a ton of difference. I did use cardboard--the bermuda grass calls for it here, but if I'd had enough newspaper, I wouldn't have needed even that. Very effective. I love the thought of all those happy worms. Sam–I really like weed blanketing. I used it again for a large area, and it has made a ton of difference. I did use cardboard–the bermuda grass calls for it here, but if I’d had enough newspaper, I wouldn’t have needed even that. Very effective. I love the thought of all those happy worms.

]]> By: Sam http://littlehouseinthesuburbs.com/2008/11/planting-with-newspaper-weed-blanket.html/comment-page-1#comment-15898 Sam Tue, 01 May 2012 20:16:37 +0000 http://littlehouse2.wordpress.com/2008/12/01/planting-with-a-newspaper-weed-blanket/#comment-15898 Sorry, got cut off... When I first started doing this 16 years ago, I put a layer of cardboard done first and covered it with paper. That was overkill. Today, the soil is so soft you can push your hand in halfway to your elbow easily. And I still use newspapers! It's the worms. They are attracted to the environment under the papers. I use cardboard between planting rows and the corrugation tunnels in the cardboard become worm nurserys. Well worth the effort even if it does take a few seasons to get the soil improvement, the weed suppression happens right away. The few weeds that manage to pop up pull out easily. Sorry, got cut off…
When I first started doing this 16 years ago, I put a layer of cardboard done first and covered it with paper. That was overkill. Today, the soil is so soft you can push your hand in halfway to your elbow easily. And I still use newspapers!

It’s the worms. They are attracted to the environment under the papers. I use cardboard between planting rows and the corrugation tunnels in the cardboard become worm nurserys. Well worth the effort even if it does take a few seasons to get the soil improvement, the weed suppression happens right away. The few weeds that manage to pop up pull out easily.

]]> By: Sam http://littlehouseinthesuburbs.com/2008/11/planting-with-newspaper-weed-blanket.html/comment-page-1#comment-15896 Sam Tue, 01 May 2012 20:08:02 +0000 http://littlehouse2.wordpress.com/2008/12/01/planting-with-a-newspaper-weed-blanket/#comment-15896 This works *extremely* well. Went around and raided the recycle bins the night before pickup to get enough newspaper. Every single newspaper in this area uses non-toxic inks. Even the glossy adverts, which I don't use because of the high clay content of that paper - because I'm gardening in heavy clay already. As for Becky's comment about it not lasting long, that's because you really need more than a few layers of paper. I lay down quite a lot of layers, overlapping each one until it's quite thick. When I first started doing this 16 years ago, This works *extremely* well. Went around and raided the recycle bins the night before pickup to get enough newspaper. Every single newspaper in this area uses non-toxic inks. Even the glossy adverts, which I don’t use because of the high clay content of that paper – because I’m gardening in heavy clay already. As for Becky’s comment about it not lasting long, that’s because you really need more than a few layers of paper. I lay down quite a lot of layers, overlapping each one until it’s quite thick.

When I first started doing this 16 years ago,

]]>