Subject: Re: Newspaper Weed Block?

From: [email-masked] (JULIANNE WEIGHT)
Date: Mon, 20 Mar 1995 20:34:08 GMT

BillsDone ([email-masked]) wrote:
: Newspaper works great!  I find a sheet or two, with overlap so the grass
: can't get between the two sheets, is ideal.  It helps to wet the paper
: with water as you lay it to help keep it in place..The stuff lets water
: through and biodegrades nicely over a few months.  I have generally done
: this for mulched areas, but don't see why covering it with dirt wouldn't
: work as well.  

I set down newspaper between my rows of tomatoes and peppers and everyone 
at the community garden acted like I had gone berserk!  I put straw on 
top to keep it from blowing away.  I was amazed that no one had ever seen 
this done before.  The 40 seedlings I planted are doing just great -- the 
newspaper and the straw keep the moisture in the soil (here in So. 
California we don't worry too much about too much cold!), so they're well 
hydrated.  Even the guy who rents the gardens and does maintenance 
wondered why I didn't use plastic.  I told him I want him to be able to 
rototill the space again next spring!

Julie

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From: [email-masked] (Christine Owens)
Date: 22 Mar 1995 02:18:40 GMT

In <[email-masked]> [email-masked] (Go Nugs) writes: 

>
>I need to put in a raised flower bed over a grassed in area. I've done the
>grass digging/removal once too often and care not to do it again if
>possible. I've heard laying newspaper over the grass and then putting 3-4
>inches of soil over the newpaper works great, but I'm sceptical.
>
>Has anyone done this? Does it work? Does the grass find a way to grow back
>through? Does it let water get thu?
>
>In the middle of this proposed plot are two Aspen trees. I want to make
>sure they still get water an have a chance to push up runners, so plastic
>is out of the question?
>
>Also, if newspaper doesn't work, will commercial weedblock fabric work, or
>can grass still push its way thru that?
>
>_Thanks in advanced!!!!!
>Jeff
>
Newspaper works just fine.  I have it all over my rose garden, under about
six inches of mulch.  Never a weed do I see.

Chris Owens

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From: [email-masked] (Richard Campbell)
Date: 22 Mar 1995 15:39:03 GMT

In article <[email-masked]>, [email-masked] (Christine Owens) writes:
|> In <[email-masked]> [email-masked] (Go Nugs) writes: 
|> 
|> >
|> >I need to put in a raised flower bed over a grassed in area. I've done the
|> >grass digging/removal once too often and care not to do it again if
|> >possible. I've heard laying newspaper over the grass and then putting 3-4
|> >inches of soil over the newpaper works great, but I'm sceptical.

snipped

|> >
|> Newspaper works just fine.  I have it all over my rose garden, under about
|> six inches of mulch.  Never a weed do I see.

   This sounds a lot easier than stripping sod.  I'm wondering though if anyone
has experience with this method over a bermuda lawn.  I've heard about this
before but am skeptical as to whether it would actually work on bermuda,
which seem to be able to come up through just about anything.
(If it didn't I sure would have a mess to straighten out!)

   I'm preparing to dig a 200 square foot bed and would love to do this if it
works.  (part of the new bed to be for veggies and part to be for
flower/groundcover).

-- 
Rich Campbell
[email-masked]

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From: [email-masked] (Christine Owens)
Date: 22 Mar 1995 02:18:40 GMT

Chris Owens

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From: [email-masked] (Richard Campbell)
Date: 22 Mar 1995 15:39:03 GMT

snipped

|> >

-- 
Rich Campbell
[email-masked]

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From: Tory Klementsen <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 2 Apr 1995 01:34:41 GMT

[email-masked] wrote:
>We've been using this method in our yard for the past 4 years 
(double-dug
>for 3 years before that).  We have solid clay soil- which makes growing
>any type of herb/ vegetable inmpossible- and is a back-breaker.  The
>newspaper method has been so successful, and so much easier that our
>raised beds increase in size by about 50% a year.... Also after several
>years- the soil in the newspaper beds has much better structure and far
>less weeds.

Just exactly how did you do this? We have very clay soil too. I've 
worked it for the first time this year, and have noticed a GREAT 
improvement over last year, but it is still clay.

What I did last year before planting wildflowers, was I dug a trench and 
filled it with semi rotted leaves (no compost). It seems the entire plot 
is 100% easier to dig this year. I think that with the wildflowers 
breaking up the soil really helped.

Now the plot is full of 75 tulip plants! (It is 50 x 3 feet.) I love it!

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From: [email-masked]
Date: 1 Apr 1995 11:00:06 -0800

We've been using this method in our yard for the past 4 years (double-dug
Aloha,
	Elise Swope

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From: [email-masked]
Date: 1 Apr 1995 11:00:06 -0800