My brother brought me two huge bags of shredded paper and I also have a few more bags from the office. All of this is office paper, not newspaper. I've read in a few places about using this as mulch. But I'm not sure about that. How do you keep it from blowing away? Since it's shredded, wouldn't it be relatively easy for the weeds to poke through? Last year, I started a new flower bed and layed sheets of newspaper down around the new plants and then covered it up with a bark-type mulch. It worked really well at keeping the weeds down. So I was just wondering if the shredded paper would work just as well. Thoughts? Tips? Suggestions?
Using a large tub, fill it with shreds then fill the tub with water. Let the paper get wet but not necessarily soggy where it falls apart when you pick it up, cover the area with it. You can get good solid coverage (add more where it looks a little thin) and it won't blow away before you get mulch over it.
The shredded paper seems to compact and form a solid mass once it is has gotten wet. I haven't had as much trouble with it blowing around as I have with the wind catching newspaper sheets and lifting them. Paper whether shredded or cardboard has been the best mulch I have had for keeping weeds down. They seem to have a hard time making their way through the paper products. Toni, I really like your idea of pre-moisting the shredded paper. I haven't done that so get some shifting of shreds before a good soak with the hose or rain.
I pre-wet the sheets of newspaper before putting them down too. Makes life simpler on a windy day and keeps them from moving during the process of laying the mulch on top of them.
Thanks Toni and Jewell. I'm going to give it a try in a couple of beds. Seems like it will be easier to place to around plants than the sheets of newspaper.
you could by some hay or if you live near a landfill they usually have a place for people to dump there green debris like tree limbs etc. They mulch this up and give it away for free you just have to pick it up.
