RE: Hello
- To: "'v*@eskimo.com'" <v*@eskimo.com>
- Subject: RE: Hello
- From: "* S* <S*@lhs.org>
- Date: Thu, 14 Jan 1999 08:14:26 -0800
- Resent-Date: Thu, 14 Jan 1999 08:12:09 -0800
- Resent-From: veggie-list@eskimo.com
- Resent-Message-ID: <"ejKzE3.0.1c5.PTXds"@mx1>
- Resent-Sender: veggie-list-request@eskimo.com
Beth,
I had heard of using several sheets (6-10) of newspaper as a mulch and had
tried it in some other areas around the yard. It works GREAT-- provides an
impenetrable barrier to weeds, and eventually (after several months) decays
and can be tilled into the soil.
A folded piece of newspaper fit perfectly in the pathways between our beds,
and the straw camouflaged the paper and made a nice walkway and slug
barrier.
Sue P.
SPesznec@lhs.org Milwaukie, OR.
> Hi Sue,
>
> Sounds like you had quite a load of produce last year! One mistake I
> made
> was buying HAY instead of straw for my paths. Hay was full of seeds and I
> had more grass in the paths than in the yard! The newspaper idea sounds
> interesting. I had an overabundance of thistle weed which is a pain
> (ouch)
> to pull.
>
> Beth (MD zone 7)
>
>
>
> I am still what I would consider a neophyte gardener, but had a wonderful
> vegetable garden last year. The main garden was a 23 foot (roughly)
> square
> that was organized into 4-5' square raised beds, with 12" paths between
> each
> bed. On the pathways, we put several layers of folded newspaper and
> topped
> this with a thick padding of straw. This had several beneficial effects:
> First, it completely kept the weeds down int he paths. Second, it gave us
> a
> clean, non-muddy pathway. Third, it seemed to be a wonderful slug
> barrier.
> I don't know if they didn't like crossing the straw, or what, but we had
> nary a slug in the garden all year. Fourth, as we speak, it is all
> decomposing and will be tilled in when we get ready to plant in
> March-April.
>
> Sue P.
>
>
