Last updated on May 25th, 2016
Newspaper mulching, as I described in detail in an earlier post, is the easiest way to keep beds weed-free for an entire season. But how do you plant seeds and seedlings when weed-smothering paper is in place? I’m so glad you asked. Here’s the how-to:
First, a couple of notes…
Note #1. Before you paper and plant the bed, water it thoroughly. The bed will retain much of this moisture once the paper is in place. And that’s a good thing if you live in a region where rainfall is scarce.
Note #2. Newsprint can be found at most recycling facilities, and paper bags are available at most grocery stores. Ask for these bags the next time you shop. Never ask for plastic bags –they are terrible for the environment.
Next, lay down the weed-smothering paper! How much paper to use? Well, that’s entirely up to you. If weeds are plentiful and tenacious, use several layers of paper. I added just one layer of grocery bags for the not-too-weedy bed you see pictured above.
Can you see the two gaps between sheets of paper? These openings are for the two rows of green bean seeds that I annually plant for Lily the Beagle. Green beans and other vegetables play an important role in Lily’s Lose Weight/Look Great diet plan.
Next, sprinkle the paper with water. Wet paper is easy to cut. Wet paper won’t blow away while you work.
In the past, I relied on my Hori Hori knife to punch out planting-holes in newsprint or grocery sacks. But this morning, I made a rather startling discovery:
A bulb-planting gadget makes the niftiest holes of all! You can find bulb-planters at almost any garden center. I purchased mine from this online source.
Now grab your seedlings — I’m working with flat-leaved parsley today — and knock them out of their cell-pack prisons. If roots are tightly twisted, loosen them. Otherwise, growth will be compromised.
Insert the seedlings into the holes you’ve made…
And back-fill the holes with soil. (One of the nice things about the bulb-planting tool is that it grabs and holds soil. I released this soil into a bucket, and used it as needed for back-filling purposes.) Gently firm the soil around the seedling.
Finally, cover the paper with shredded leaves, dried pine needles, salt hay, or some other kind of mulch. If you use shredded leaves, as I did this morning, be sure to wet them lightly. Dampened leaves won’t blow away. They’ll cling together like Vera Charles and Auntie Mame.
Honk if you are familiar with the names “Vera Charles” and “Auntie Mame.”
Also, let me know if you might plant your seeds and seedlings as I described above. Remember that plants in papered beds live happy, peppy lives. They do not have to compete with weeds for food and drink. They require less-frequent watering, too, because paper shades the soil and minimizes evaporation.
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Beth says
“Honk”!! I love Auntie Mame! A big favorite! Thanks for all your great tips! Will try this one.
AllisonK says
I had great success with newspaper mulching in the past. Then I moved (back) to SW Minnesota–one of the consistently-windiest places on earth. Seriously, 30 mph wind is average. Newspaper mulching does not work here—no amount of water can keep the paper down–it blows down the block within a few hours (same for cardboard). Oddly, the ONLY thing I’ve found that works is shredded office paper—it is heavy enough and intertwines on itself and the plants sufficiently that it doesn’t blow around (shredded newsprint is too lightweight and blows all over the place). SIGH. Not ideal, but better than nothing….
Debra says
So glad to see your paper garden. Since I live on a farm I use the animal feed bags the same way, keeps down the weeds and I dig it in the next season.
Mary in Iowa says
“Live! Life is a banquet and most poor suckers are starving to death.”
You’re not starving to death, Kevin, and you’re a great model for how to live life to the fullest. Thanks for being you.
We have the same kinds of winds here as AllisonK describes: frequently 25-30, gusting to 40-50. My method is to take my concrete mixing tub, fill it with water, and let the newspapers soak up as much water as they will hold. A wheelbarrow would work well too. Lay down the wet papers, plant and mulch only as much of an area as there is time for in one session. The mulch will weight the papers and prevent them ending up in the next county. The heavier the primary mulch, the better. While the paper itself is the first layer of mulch, its real purpose is to serve as an organic weed blocker under the heavier and more attractive main mulch material. While working, it helps to lay the fold side of the newpaper pads in the direction from which the wind is blowing. If the loose side is headed into the wind, it will ruffle them up and test your patience mightily. If the wind is a capricious one that keeps changing directions, work FAST!
Martha Robinson says
Thank you for this, Kevin. I have followed your suggestions about newspaper mulch before, with great success, but this is even more detailed than what I’ve seen before, and the pictures help a lot! I recycle newspapers this way, and hold them down with straw that I get from my neighbor.
Trudi says
I hopefully smothered Monkey grass and other assorted plants with a Lot of newspaper. I don’t think i want to chance those durn plants resurfacing if i cut holes in the paper .So for this year i will just keep mulch on top and plant maybe nextt year ?
Beverly, zone 6, eastern PA says
I love those cylindrical bulb planters. I use them for many jobs beyond bulbs. My older one is short like yours in the photo. My second one is long with “steppers” on each side, made to be used in a standing position. It has a “D” handle on the top for ease of twisting and the bottom cylinder is the standard size, matching the shorter one’s dimensions. I have surgically removed pernicious, tap-rooted weeds from my lawn with this longer model.
An efficient gardener’s perpetual motto: “The right tool for the job!”
You are full of good ideas, Kevin!
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Beverly – Thanks for the heads-up on the long-handled bulb planter. On my “to-buy” list!
Cynthia says
My daughter and I watch Auntie Mame every Christmas Eve together. Our favorite!! I live in Oklahoma City where the wind comes sweeping down the plain. I have a lot of paper bags lying around that I have saved for this purpose and have intended to try this today. Thanks everyone for the tips for windy areas.Hopefully I won’t be fighting crabgrass as much this year.
Bette says
I have been working with my niece on her raised garden beds and sent her your newsletter today as we are going to be working on her beds this week in preparation for planting. I am doing container vegetable plants on my deck and if you have any suggestions on the care of tomatoes, basil, lettuce and carrots please share! I might even try beets this year! Thanks for the great info.
Liz says
I first tried newspaper mulching a couple seasons back after reading your blog post. The weed control was fabulous, but I did encounter some problems the paper blowing on windy days. Last season, as I was mixing sand into our clay soil, I realized I could solve two problems at once: now I put a bit of sand on top of the newspaper. It takes care of the blowing paper problem, and as the paper decomposes in the fall, the sand makes its way into the soil below. A surprise benefit was that slugs absolutely HATE the sandy surface, so my broccoli and cabbages were much happier. (And so was I!)
Teresa Mumby says
This is my first year using the newspaper/ mulch for the seedlings and I love it. For the seed rows, do you put mulch on the paper and leave the seed row open? Do you have a problem with weed in the seed row? Yes, I am a little obsessive about the details, which is why I LOVE your website.
Carol Samsel says
I’ve used this method for years and love it. Have also used the shredded office paper as mention in one of the post. Now I’m off to find a long handled bulb planter 🙂
Karen L. says
I absolutely must try this. We still get the newspaper every day so I have plenty of it. I can use printed newspaper, can’t I? Or does it contain “poisons” that might leach into the soil and therefore my veggies also? Well, we do get the occasional paper bag (usually we use fabric bags) and I can grab some next time I am at the grocers if need be. I hate weeding and it seems to go on forever so I am excited that this might rather will work since” Kevin says so”! Also I like some of the other suggestions mentioned in the comments. Love how people share including you Kevin!
Ruth Eliot says
Kevin, thank you for sharing your thoughts and ideas. I enjoy your wit and your dog , Lily the Beagle. I have a knoll in my lawn and it’s all clay. Any ideas on how to get grass to grow there?
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Karen – I wrote about newspaper ink in this post: How I Smother Weeds With Newspaper. Happy gardening to you!
Rhonda Strahler says
I am off today to purchase a bulb planter!!!
Sheri Syverson says
A high school girl just finished weeding the beds and I have newspaper saved in boxes. Next step to lay it down and then plant flower seeds and plants. My Airedales like peas so I always have to plant an extra supply of them. They get the bottom ones and I harvest the top:)
Elizabeth says
Thanks for the ideas and pictures. Love your posts. Have emailed many to my daughter in Montreal: Recipes, plantings, all My compost was heavy with chicken manure so that would keep the newspaper down in the wind, which we had in Davis, CA— “north wind” could remove anything.. (now I live in the East)
Thanks for all the great advice and wonderful recipes!
Sharon Weber says
HONK!!! Auntie Mame is one of my all time favorites…read the book as well! Love your blog . I used old cardboard boxes last year with success, they disintegrated of course but I will try again!
Ann Guss says
I mulched my paths with hay my first year, then replaced it with cardboard and wood chips. A few weeds still creep in (pernicious buttercup and morning glory vines, along with occasional grasses) but mostly it stay weed-free!
Elaine R says
We get winds and I can never round up enough mulch to cover even my walkways.paper bags? Didn’t know that they even existed….but am tempted to go out and buy rolls of kraft paper..I think they are still available. My veggie garden is looking like a lawn…..of dill and chickweed!
Thanks for the idea..I use my bulb planter to plant potatoes. Now I will use it to set in transplants.
Ann Honer says
I have been planting this way since I read your blog 2 yrs. ago. It is so easy and if weeds do come up, they pull right out.
Thanks for the info.
jean says
All of your blogs are so entertaining and I learn so much. Been doing it this way since you taught me a couple of years ago. Thanks for a good read!
Sanna H says
Soooooo glad you mentioned watering garden before you paper! I had read your earlier article on paper with mulching, but must not have remembered that part. Thankfully, I’m a slow gardener so although I started papering my weedy sections, I’m NO where near finished. (Yeah for procrastinating and achy joints!!). Watering the garden first will make the tilling better anyway as the soil is drying out. And I’m also nowhere near done planting so I will try this new method of planting in paper! Thanks Kevin! As always, there is always something pertinent in your emails! Sanna H.
Sharon says
I will try this method on some of my raised beds this year. My total veggie garden/raised beds were covered with weeds. TG for a friend of mine that has been cleaning them out for me or I would not have a garden this year. I am a HP SR & cannot kneel or bend much. I used to use black plastic years ago & that worked well also to smother the weeds. Does anyone have any organic info for stopping squash vine borers? I get them in my squash & cukes. I have used Safer brand organic bug spray & has worked well but they still manage to get in the vines. I have used foil & pantyhose also. I now have a device from Canada that is supposed to trap the moths. Keeping my fingers crossed I have found a solution. Any info will be appreciated. Thank you Kevin for all your great info & recipes.
suz says
honk! i loved that old movie, too. and, in a kevin-bacon-game twist: vera charles reminded me of nick and nora charles of “the thin man” movies, although i LOVED the tv version of “the thin man” much more, with peter lawford and phyllis kirk (your turn to honk if you remember that), and that reminded me of tv’s “castle,” which i was hoping would eventually evolve into a modern version of “the thin man,” as in maybe a rich couple detective agency solving mysteries/murders, instead of the show dying. (but the writing really took a hit in the last season, and no one seemed to be having much fun….)
but i digress … THANK YOU, THANK YOU for the expanded bed prep and planting tips. i just retired and will be doing more gardening now, and this added to your previous info plus some reader tips above will be a great plan. –suz in ohio
Barb Hulse says
I use this trick as well – works great!!
I am planting tomatoes, lima beans, sugar snap peas and spinach so far.
Carol says
Love Auntie Mame and Vera Charles, but my favorite in the movie is Agnes Gooch. Good post, and I sure enjoy when I get an e-mail from you.
Carolyn says
Honk! Love you & your posts! thanks for keeping us all entertained & informed!
Julie says
Weeds can take away the fun of gardening in addition to the water and nutrients from the good plant. The newspaper idea really works well! I found some still in decent shape when I went to plant a new perennial…I’d forgotten I’d put down multiple layers a couple of years ago! What a pleasant surprise! Keep sharing your good ideas!
Anne Efron says
I always say that I have the best read garden in the neighborhood – papered with the NYT!
AnnofPA says
Hi Kevin, Thanks for your very timely post/reminder. Question: If using soaker hoses, above or below the paper? Thanks!
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi AnnofPA — Either method should work. If I used soaker hoses, I’d put them down first, then add the paper (or cardboard) and regular mulch.
Karen L. says
Thanks for the newspaper ink information. After going to the link you provided, I remembered that I had read that back when you originally posted it. My memory is so lacking in “sustainability” that I forgot all about that. This year I am going to give the newspaper method a try. It appears that it will be so much easier and safer in the end to eliminate weeds with this method that any other. I have a couple of dogs and will not use any chemicals unless I have no other choice. I am off soon to get a pump sprayer to do the vinegar method of getting rid of weeds in the driveway. I used a spray bottle last year but my hand wears out before I run out of vinegar ….. or weeds! Thanks again for posting all your knowledge (and experiments) of both gardening and recipes. So ….. when is that cookbook coming out?
Sandra says
Wow, as a new gardener, I am loving your posts. Me and my landlord are always complaining about having to mulch anew every year and my flower gardens have to be weeded constantly. Thanks! San
Carol Cleary says
Hi Kevin, …I have been using the newspaper trick for over 30 yrs…Known as an ‘old Yankee trick’ up here in New England…. 30 Yrs ago did the veggies etc but in retirement, I am only keeping up my perennial flower gardens…. I have always gone by the rule of 8 sheets thick… I find that it lasts for 3 yrs plus when that thick……. Each yr of course I find something new to plant and when making space just mix the old paper right into the soil….
Also if one is using a wood chip/bark mulch, the newspaper stops the bark/wood from robbing the soil of nitrogen as it ages/dissolves.
There is one caution I have and that is to NOT use the newspaper when planting bulbs… I left what I thought was a BIG circle around each cluster of bulbs (new garden over 100 bulbs) I planted and next spring I only had about 1/2 as many as I thought I should have. Finally investigated and lifted the paper in many places. All areas had yellow white strands 6-8 inches away from where I planted. them…. I ripped it all up and just put aged leaf mulch back….. Thanks for all your info on gardening… Have a great summer !
Karyn says
I have a over grown garden area I would like to use. Previous owners let the area go and it’s perfect for a garden, I have tried pulling until I just can’t any more, I tried digging but the ground is so hard… Will covering this area with paper kill this stuff under it and allow me to turn this area into a garden? Help!!!
Thank you
Karyn
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Karyn – Be sure to click the highlighted text in the first sentence of this post. It will direct you to my article on smothering weeds with newspaper. The method has been a boon to me and many other gardeners!
Megan says
We save newspaper all year long to smother weeds and mulch our beds. For corn we put paper down in rows and cover with straw, leaving a little space between each row, and then we plant. I love the idea of the bulb planter, we’ve been discussing papering and strawing the whole garden before we plant, I think we’ll give it a try next year. Thanks!
Jen says
If you go to your local newspaper office, they usually sell the end rolls of newspaper (no print on it) fairly cheap. You may find longer pieces easier to deal with as you could weight them down on the ends. They’re also great for making patterns and all kinds of things.
Lucy A. Downey says
Hi Kevin, I am 78 years old, n still garden, using the newspaper, paper bags n cardboard for years, also using severel things for mulch, best I have found, is I catch by grass cuttings in the bag of mower. I use this for mulch, adding it to garden all year long. Free, and really builds up the soil. In spring I start saving it in piles and then have it to put on top of paper as I’m planting, also very important to keep paper wet as you work with it, as I also have a lot of wind here in Michigan.
Vonda Gunnells says
I have a question, I see how the seedlings are planted but how are SEEDS planted, the same way? I did plant our rather small TN garden like this this year and was so pleased with the lack of weeds, but I want to plant seeds and have the same result!!
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Vonda – See the third photograph and the comment beneath it. I planted seeds in the gaps between the paper. ‘Twas a big success!
Frank says
Honk, Honk…read the book Auntie Mame as a child then much later saw the movie…it was much better after having read the book, ‘they’ manage to leave so much out of the movie.
mulching w-plastic bags…noticed that ‘they’ seem to place a layer of black plastic over garden beds…couldn’t you place plastic grocery bags and even laundry bags on a bed as well ?…I’m going to try a small plot and see what happens…probably need a knife to cut the ‘X’ as bulb planter may ‘grab’ the plastic…Gardenerd, new at growing…
Rhonda Strahler says
Will DEFINITELY try this next spring. Due to recent back surgery, I wasn’t able to do as much in the garden this year as I would like, but my sweet son (Matt the Mailman) came to my house and put weed-guard fabric down over all my raised beds (he stapled it to the sides so it stays put nicely), and I planted everything thru that. I seemed to work well for the tomatoes & peppers, but the zucchini & yellow squash found it too hot. They languished until I removed the fabric & just mulched them with straw. The fabric doesn’t seem to allow water to seep thru as well as I would like, so the paper bag thingy will be on my agenda next time. Thank you , handsome!!
Valerie says
Oh how I’m itching to try theis paper/newspaper method; I’ve read/seen you use it for many purposes now… but I hesitate still.
I really hope you can guide me…
My garden like yours, has woodland-ish areas covered in all kinds of though scraggly embroided weeds. One area in particular, a very visible 40’x7′ strip at the entrance of the property, under an elegant row of century old pine trees, welcomes people with a big fat “blehhh”.
After much trial and error, I found out this Spring, Beacon Silver could light up and fill the space.
In 2036, yeahhh. I see it happenning. Maybe… provinding I find that spare spine of mine to weed with.
Newspaper would be my savior, if it weren’t for Beacon Silver propagating by stretching out over the ground and clinging to it, to root further.
Would few inches deep be enough for it to propagate the plugs I’d put in ? Would the paper decompose fast enough for new roots to reach the soil and take ? Should I wait a couple of weeks/months between paper and planting ?
Nancy says
I love it and that’s how I do it (only with Hori Hori 🙂 ). However, it most certainly does not work with Bermuda grass!!! I didn’t know about Bermuda when I moved to zone 7 OK 3 years ago, so started my first two large beds this way. I’ve been ripping out Bermuda ever since. Now I know that I have to dig every bit of Bermuda out of a proposed new bed before beginning on lasagna gardening. But the newspaper way works fabulously on previous made beds. Thanks for your website, Kevin!!
Kim H says
How can you use the paper mulching process with flower seeds? I have two flower beds and want to focus on one for this year. The other I was going to paint some wildflower seeds that I purchased from the store. Would I lay down the paper water it then cut long strips to put my seeds in? Thanks for your help
Patti LAW-POGGI says
I had been reading previously about blocking weeds, but with CARDBOARD, so I went and gathered a bunch of boxes today ready to break down, but for some reason I thought I would check with you first Kevin and see that you mostly use newspaper! Is there a reason for your choice? Also, whatever I use, should I cut the taller weeds down before placing the paper or cardboard?
Enjoy your posts so much, thank you so much.
Sarah Smith says
This year I am trying paper bag mulching. I used inexpensive wooden lathes and fixed them into square foot gardening grid (3×3 lathes making a 4×4 sq ft “box”) and just laid it right on top of the bags, holds them right in place. In ground square foot gardening, woohoo!